Finish for the Lord
Key Passage: 1 Chronicles 29:26-28
Date: June 7, 2024
Turning your Bibles, if you would, First Chronicles chapter number 29. First Chronicles chapter number 29, we are nearing the end of David’s life.
Right at the end of David’s life. This may be—I don’t think, I think we might have one more Wednesday trying to seek the Lord, but we’re almost finished covering the life of David. We’ve been on almost two years now, and I hope it’s been a blessing of help to you, but we’re nearing the end, and he’s 70 years old now, and his life here on earth is almost done, but his real life’s almost beginning, amen. He’s been living his real life for a good while now. I’m talking about eternal life and with the Lord Jesus Christ.
First Chronicles chapter number 29. And we’re going to read verse number 26, verse number 26 of God’s word tonight.
First Chronicles chapter number 29. We’ll begin reading in verse number 26. Would you please stand and read God’s Word together? First Chronicles 29 and verse number 26 of God’s Word. If you’re there, would you say amen?
Here we go. Thus, David, the son of Jesse, reigned over all Israel. The time that he reigned over Israel was 40 years. Seven years reigned he in Hebron. And 30 and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches and honor. And Solomon, his son, reigned in his stead.
Would you pray with me that God would just do a work in our hearts in our lives? We would show His fingerprints on the service tonight. Would you ask for Him to do that tonight? Father, Lord, we do come. We’re so thankful for that promise. We’re two or three—I don’t know—we’re here with us tonight. Thank You for that, Lord. You sit over there in Psalm 148, if we call upon You in truth, You’re nigh. We want to do so. I thank You for being nigh to us tonight. Lord, I yield to You. Father, control my thoughts, my words. Would You just use me as a mouthpiece? You say the words. And then, Lord, I preach it’s in Your Spirit empowering them. And then, Lord, would You fill Your listeners with Your Spirit and help them hear even to their hearts what You like for them to hear? And we thank You for what You do. In Jesus’ name, I ask. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
David’s amazing to me at the end of his life; it just seemed like his whole passion was for the temple to be built. He just—I mentioned, I think, last week—but I sometimes think we should call it David’s temple instead of Solomon’s temple. David, for at least 25 years, I’ve been trying to prepare for it, but at the end, it just seemed like he amped up his passion for the temple to be built.
And he prepared all the material. And he, in fact, prepared the temple workers. We won’t take time to read it, but chapter 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 is really David getting the Levites and the different workers in the temple organized and ready to go for his son Solomon to take over. And for them to be able to move into the temple and occupy it. And sometimes we’ll read how Solomon, he would divide them up each month. The verse said, actually David instilled that before he passed. He had just prepared so much for Solomon and the temple to be. It was his passion. And he mentions it so often at the end of his life.
Now, you remember when Adonijah tried to take the throne? I remember that. And remember David, of course, Nathan and Bathsheba had a little bit to do with it, but David quickly anointed Solomon king and made him ride on his chariot. Now, how chariots back then for the king was a mule, you all right, you know. And, but he did all that, but a little later on he has a more formal gathering of all Israel and anoints Solomon king there officially. And he speaks with him. And it talks to him much about the temple. It’s just on his mind, on his heart.
I want you to look at it. If you look over in chapter number 28, chapter 28 of this book, you’re in here, chapter 28. Would you look at verse number one, please? Verse number one, chapter 28, verse number one.
And David assembled all the princes of Israel—that’s the leaders of Israel, the princes of the tribes—and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with his officers, and with the mighty men, with all the valiant men unto Jerusalem. Then David the king stood up upon his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren, my people. As for me, I had in my heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and made ready for the building. But God said unto me, ‘Thou shalt not build an house for my name because thou hast been a man of war and hast shed blood.’”
Nobody covered much of that last week. Jump down in verse number 10. I just want you to see how he’s gathering all these people together and the thing that he starts talking about is the temple. It’s on his mind to build this temple.
Verse number 10. “Take heed now, for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary. Be strong, do it.” Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, of the inner parlors thereof, and the place of the mercy seat. We won’t continue on reading, but I want you just to see. He even had the blueprints.
And by the way, I know, because we’ve kind of been going through this process for a long time, that’s a lot of work. David had got the blueprints ready to go. He had gotten money ready to go. He got material ready to go. He even got the personnel ready to go. And his passion in the last days of his life was to build the temple.
Now, can you just for a moment maybe think about the end of your life? It’ll come if the Lord tarries. And if you live out a natural life and you live to be 70 or so—I’ve got to be wise about this, who’s here—might make my reason shrink, you know, add 10 to an 80 or longer. But when you get there, what’s your passion?
Some spend their last days of their life talking about what they used to do, and I’m not saying that’s bad. But someone has said that you get old when you talk about what you used to do, and young people talk about what they’re doing or going to do. And I like it. It doesn’t matter your age, but when you keep some, what they say, young at heart, what you’re still doing. But the thing is David here at the end, he is not about his legacy and what he used to do. He could talk about killing Goliath, that’s true. He could talk about how he did not kill Saul when he had the opportunity more than once. But you don’t find David doing all that. You find David; he’s still on a mission for the Lord. He’s got a passion for God. He’s got a dream and desire.
Now, it wasn’t what he wanted it to be. He wanted to build it himself. And God said, “No, no, no, you’ve been a man of war. You shed a lot of blood.” No, no, no, no. And as you get older, sometimes, you can’t do what you used to could do. Miss Barb is kind of groaning over there. Yeah, this is true, you know. I think all of us are there somewhat, you know. I mean, but there’s always something you can do for the Lord.
Someone say, “Well, if nothing else but prayer.” Friend, maybe the greatest thing anybody can do is pray. That’s just so valuable. I was speaking with someone yesterday, and they’re so good about this. “I pray for you, Pastor.” Boy, I appreciate that. And they were saying, “Is there any special prayer request?” I said, “Hey, would you pray about what to preach next and my study time?” I appreciate that very much. Preparation time is so important and hard to do sometimes when everything else is going on around you, you know. And I appreciate that. But maybe that thing there is the greatest thing a person can do: just pray.
Revivals start because someone’s praying. Our nation, boy, it needs prayer. Our church needs prayer. Family Harvest Days right around the corner needs prayer. I mean, just bathing families and marriages and young folk in prayer. And maybe the only thing you can do is pray, but friend, don’t you ever let the devil belittle that? That’s huge.
About a year or so ago, I listened to—I want to say read, but I didn’t read it, I listened to Hudson Taylor’s, I think it was a biography about his life, a very long book. Praise the Lord for audio nowadays, amen, that’s a good thing. And towards the end of his life—I can’t remember all the details; it’s been a year or so—but towards the end of his life, his first wife had passed, and his children—I think just about all of his children had passed. I think very many of them in China on the mission field. His second wife had health issues, and the Boxer Rebellion had happened, and many of his missionaries on his China Inland Mission had been killed. And they had had to get him out of the country, and his health was just shot, and so many things were going on.
And towards the end of his life, he said, “I can’t really do anything anymore.” And I was amazed at this. I’m just talking about you can always do something, but I was amazed at this. He said my health and even my mental health was so shot, I could not even—he said—I really couldn’t even pray like I had for so many years. Of course, God had used him so greatly, changed really that country. I would dare say millions saved through his ministries.
Tell you a story before I finish that little story there. Years later, communist China, they tried to dispel Hudson Taylor’s influence because they’re just, you know, they’re trying to get communism in there and take them away from God. And so they hired a man to write a book against Hudson Taylor years after Hudson Taylor’s death. And just to make him look so bad, and so this man, they hired him, this author, to write a book against Hudson Taylor. He began to study Hudson Taylor’s life and began to try to get facts about it so much. And began to study more and more. And the more he learned, the more he realized there’s something real here. And that man ended up getting saved. I’m talking about how God used Hudson Taylor.
But at the end of Hudson Taylor’s life, he says this: He said, “Look, I couldn’t get up and do anything. Such pain and bad health. And my mind was really frightened at this point.” He said, “I couldn’t even pray.” He said, “The only thing I could do is just lay there and trust.” And I told the Lord, “I’m just going to lay here and trust You.” Of course, God’s so pleased with that. He’s faith. That’s what pleases God. I’m just simply saying, there’s always, always something you can do. And David, at the end of his life, he never lost his passion, a mission for God. I love it.
Look in chapter number 29, just something about David. We’re going to move on to another point. We hit this a little bit last week. We don’t belabor the point, but I want you just see at the end of his life how he still had a heart for God, a man after God’s own heart. You can see it so clearly at the end of his life. Verse number two, 29:2.
“Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God.” I mean, he’s at the end of his life and he’s still got passion. “With all my might, I’ve been preparing His house for the Lord.” Hey, would be to God, our last breath be something for God? Our very last breath. David, it’s the very end of life, and he said, “With all my might,” trying to prepare for God’s house, the temple of God.
Now, let’s go on. I just want you to kind of just see—I hope it doesn’t slip your mind, your heart—David at the end. He finished soul and love for God and trying to work for God, the temple of God. Look at chapter number 29. We’re going to change course just to touch here, just a touch. But look at verse number two, 29, verse number two. We’re there already, but we’ll finish it out. Excuse me, First Chronicles 29, verse number two.
He says, “Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God, the gold for the things to be made of gold, and the silver for the things of silver, the brass for the things of brass, the iron for the things of iron, the wood for the things of iron, the precious stones, stones to be set, glistening stones, and of divers colors in all manner of precious stones and marble stones in abundance.”
“Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good”—this is a personal offering. As a king, he’s torn up all this, but now he’s given a personal offering—“of mine own proper good of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God over and above all that I have prepared for the Holy House.” He said, “I prepared a lot of things as a king, as a leader of the nation, but personally over and above, I’ve given.” Even 3,000 talents of gold of the gold of Ophir.
That’s the best gold, if you will. And 7,000 talents of refined silver to overlay the walls of the houses. By the way, I told about the best gold. It reminds me—we had a scavenger hunt at Upper Mills Mall on Friday night, the couple’s class, and one of the things we found, we found the most expensive piece of jewelry in the mall. And one of our people found one, I think it was $51,500. That’s that, yeah. And they said the jewelry store down here had a necklace for $250,000, but it was already closing. And that’s the best Upper Mills Mall. And this is the best David had, and he’s given it. He’s given a personal offering for the temple of God.
Verse number five: “The gold for the things of gold and the silver for the things of silver and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of the artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?” David is personally—not out of the treasury of the, not out of the taxes of the people of Israel, not out of the debt, the national debt in our day and time, not out of all that—but out of his own pocket, David says, “Over and above I want to give.” He’s given an offering.
Friend, it is a privilege. And it’s a privilege to be able to give to the Lord in this world. It’s a privilege. You say, “Why? He had already saved up so much for the temple building.” Why did he do that? Well, the key is there in verse number three. Did you notice that in verse number three? We just read it.
Verse number three, he says, “Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God.” Kind of reminds you the New Testament cautions where it sets your affections on things above. By the way, you’re to set it there. It doesn’t always just happen. You set it there. And because David had set his affection on the house of God, David said, “I want to give a personal offering. I want to give.” Friend, it’s just such a privilege. I hope you’ll learn to view giving as a privilege.
Here’s the interesting thing about it. Look at verse number 15, if you would please. Verse number 15 here, chapter number 29. Would you look at verse number 15? He knows it’s his last days. He says, “For we are strangers before thee and sojourners, if you will”—that’s kind of like vacationers. You say that’s not a word? It is now. We’re vacationers, sojourners—“as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow that has none abiding.”
I say that David realized he’s nearing the ending of his life and he realized, “Hey, there’s no U-Haul behind the hearse. You’re not going to take it with you.” I mean, all the thing really you keep is the things you give away. You understand? And friend, when I view it as it’s a privilege, I have the privilege. My heart is in God and His things, and I want to give to it. It changes everything. His heart, his affection was he had set it there. And he knew his life was short. Friend, it’s not just about here; eternity. Let’s just get the getting ready place.
Look over if you will in Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6, and he talks about this subject, Matthew 6. You’ll know the verses when we get there. Matthew 6, and would you look down verse number 19? Matthew 6 and verse number 19, if you would please.
Matthew 6 and verse number 19. When you get there, would you say amen? Good deal. By the way, are you all tired out there? I’ve seen Miss Joyce yawning a little bit back there, but nobody else too much. Not too bad, so we’re doing pretty good there, you know. But a couple of hands are raised on the… Your ties are hanging out, as a guy, Brother Gary used to say, but ties are hanging out tonight. Matthew 6, look at verse number 19, if you would, please.
Verse number 19. He says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, where thieves break through and steal.” Now you say, preacher, does that mean I’m not supposed to plan for retirement? No, I think you ought to plan to take care of yourself and your spouse, your family, in retirement. I believe that. I believe Proverbs 6 and other places teaches that. But here’s the key I think about understanding this: treasures. Lay not up for yourselves, treasures. If your treasure is all about that nest egg and you just—if you’re over in abundance—it’s treasures. I said, that’s so foolish. Don’t lay up for that.
Moths that come in there, eat your clothes up. You can have that. I’m trying to learn; it’s not a couch purse, the Gucci purse. Is that what it’s called? Gucci? Is that it? Did I get it right? Man, I’m getting educated. I tell you why, that’s impressive, you know. The clothes, those cars, those Corvettes, you know. I mean, they don’t rust anymore because they’re all plastic, so we’re good, right? They’re going to break down, and you’ve got to keep pumping money into them for sure, you know. They said, “Hey, where rust comes in or thieves break through and steal.”
I never forget one of the last adjustments—they call it sometimes—when the stock market crashed about, I think it was, I don’t know how many years, about 10 years or so ago. I’m probably off a year or two there, but I remember I was visiting a man in the hospital, and I don’t think it was him, maybe it was a relative, but they had a lot of money in the stock market, a certain section of it, and they lost about $100,000, pretty much all the retirement. It was devastated. And friend, that happens. And if my treasure is just down here, that’s gone; it can be gone real quick.
And he said, notice the next verse, verse number 20 there, Matthew 6:20: “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where thieves do not break through nor steal.” It’s a sure investment. I mean, you’re investing in the Lord and His work, however He leads, but man, it’s a sure investment giving to God.
No, David’s nearing the end of his life, and David says, “Yes, I’ve stored up so much out of the nation of Israel. I’ve got everybody ready, if you will, but I want to put something in there, but I want to give myself a personal offering.” Wow. David knew he was about to leave this world. I want to lay up some things over there on the other side. Somebody said, “You’re putting the material up there that he’s building your mansion with.” And don’t get too technical on that, but you understand what I’m saying. David.
Another thing about—look at verse number 16, if you would. Just some interesting thoughts David says here nearing the end, this last speech, if you will, he’s giving. Verse number 16, we’re back over, First Chronicles 29. Look at verse number 16, if you would please. 29:16, if you would. Look at what he says: “O Lord, our God, all this store that we have prepared to build the house for thy holy name, cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.”
David’s saying, “God, I know the honest truth is everything I got, You’re the one that gave it to me.” You say these hands earned all that? Who gave you the hands, friend? Man, you go to some of these third-world countries; they’re willing to work mighty hard, but they don’t have anything like you have.
I was thinking about—God’s been so good to us. I was thinking about the first, I think about two and a half years we were married, we lived in a single-wide trailer. God took care of us, but we—the first lawnmower we had—you’re going to think this is old, old. It wasn’t even a pushmower with a motor. It was one of those old pushmowers that had the—you know, you had to put the power was in your arms. After I get down, it’s just the small yard at the trailer park, but honestly, that was it, you know. I got a good workout. I could feel it in my arms because you had to do that about a million times as you’re trying to cut that grass, you know. And I’m just saying, we didn’t have much.
The first job in the ministry is a youth pastor to a church. And I think we had $125 a week. And they paid $50, I believe it was, a month toward our lot rent where the trailer was. And I got gas by vehicle. But, you know, God always took care of us. But I’m just saying, kind of that’s where we started out from. Man, God’s been so good to us all these years. Man, I got a beautiful house. I mean, we’ve been great all these years. Have woods for the kids that are running—you know, when they’re running from it, as I’m chasing with a belt. No, I’m joking about that there, you know. But I mean, a nice truck, nice car if we ever get back from our daughter. And I’ve got all kind of toys and goodies and trinkets. And I’m just saying, God’s been so good to us. I really don’t lack for anything. I get what I need and usually I get what I want for the most part. God’s given all that to us.
Everything you have, God’s given it to you. And that’s the right way to hold it and just say, “Hey, Lord, it’s Yours anyway. What would You like for me to give back?” He gave it all to us. David’s at the end and he’s given this offering and he said, “Lord, everything I have is Yours anyway. You’re the one that gave it to us.” I like a king being that humble. Just God, You gave it to us. But it’s such a blessing to be able to give back.
It was a good day. I went to a conference years ago, and it was a conference on missions and money. I should have known better to go to that conference, you know what I’m saying? But I went anyway, and the preacher preached on tithing. And, of course, I’d heard tithing over my life and tried to practice it in my life, but he really just got down to the—he said, “Of all that increase, if somebody gives you a gift, tithe off of it. And your insurance and everything.” And we went home and we increased. We made some changes and everything. We tried tithing off everything. He said, “Man, that’s a lot.” Man, you can’t outgive the Lord. It seemed like that’s when our finances took off in such a positive way. And the blessings began to come in more. And if I just do it for that, that’s not right. But it’s just the honest truth: you can’t outgive the Lord.
Look over if you will in 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians. Just giving a little bit tonight. You say, “Are you preaching about this? Because churches need money and all that.” God always provides to this church. He has from day one. And He’ll keep on providing. We’ll just do right; He’ll take care of all that. But for your sake, friend, and we’re starting the end of David’s life, and David was such a giver, especially at the end of his life. But I want you to see this, just giving to the Lord. 2 Corinthians chapter 9. 2 Corinthians chapter 9. 2 Corinthians chapter 9. 2 Corinthians 9 and verse number 6. And the context is giving here in finances.
He said, “But this I say,” verse number 6: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. And he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” Oh, and I just stingy with the Lord. I said, “All right. You want to give sparingly? I’ll give sparingly.” Friend, it’s just such a joy to give to the Lord’s work and watch Him provide and watch Him meet needs. David, at the end of his life, he’s just—he said, “It’s just a short time anyway; I’m going to give.” He wanted to give to the temple of God. Personally, he did. And what a wonderful thing.
If you would, would you jump back over here? I know we’re turning back and forth a little bit here, but First Chronicles, go back to that chapter number 29, if you would please. I want you to see a little bit more about David. He gave this personal offering. And look at verse number five again, if you would please. First Chronicles 29. Would you look at verse number five right there, please?
He says, “The gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, for all manner of work to be made by the hands of the artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?” Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work offered willingly.
So David gave a personal offering. Now David invites those people to give. He’s offering, “Hey, what would you give?” I remember as a young preacher, I had a little bit of hard time asking people to give to the Lord’s work. But that was a mistake. And really, I think a turning point for me was I went to the hospital one time. I was visiting a widow lady. And I was in a room. And I just went to visit her, of course. But she said this, a widow lady. And she lived in a double-wide trailer. She didn’t have much. But a visitor. And she said, “Pastor, I want to give you my tithe.”
Now, honestly, inside I balked. I don’t want to take this lady’s tithe. She’s a widow living in a double-wide trailer. And then the Holy Spirit just seemed to say, “Do you not believe My word, Paul? Do you not think I can take better care of that widow than she can take care of herself?” And boy, God began to work in my heart. And I thought, “Wow, you know, probably the best thing that lady can do financially is to tithe.” By the way, God took care of that lady; watched Him do it. Friend, if I believe the Bible, that’s one of the best things she could do. God changed my heart. The best thing for our people is to give. I’m doing them a disservice if I don’t bring it up from time to time. Now, if I’m all about money for me and you know and all that, then I’m wrong. But the best thing for our people is to obey God’s word. God changed my heart that day. Someone said, “Does it bother you to have special offerings?” Not really anymore, because I know it’s good for our people. It’s going to help them and give them opportunity to be used by God, for God to bless them, and God to give back bountifully. God changed my heart that day.
Such a good thing. Let’s keep reading. Let’s keep reading here. We’re back over in chapter 29. Would you look in verse number seven, if you would please? Verse number seven. “And gave for the service of the house of God of gold 5,000 talents and 10,000 talents of silver, 10,000 talents, and of brass 18,000 talents, and 100,000 talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.”
Now, let me just—when I was reading that, I thought I wanted to mention this to you, especially for newer folks, they don’t know. I don’t know who gives what in our church, on purpose. I don’t know. Other people count the money. Other people keep those records, and I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. I avoid that. And on purpose, I don’t know who gives what. I don’t want to know who gives what. So if I’m stepping on your toes, I don’t know. Don’t say, “Ouch,” because they don’t know I’m hitting you because I don’t know. Okay?
But here’s the thing: for this temple, for the house of the Lord, it took some money. I remember old Curtis Hudson saying, “Hey, great works are not built on spare time and pocket change.” It takes some finances to do a great work for God. I mean, it took these things, these finances, so it took it to build the temple of God. Family Harvest Days are goals to see people saved. Hot dogs aren’t free. Brother Marlin’s got us some good deals on some different things. He went to save a lot; got us a good deal on hot dogs. Praise the Lord for that. We’re trying to be wise with all of it and finances. But it takes money to give out cookies and hot dogs and chips to these people. And I appreciate y’all giving. Y’all are wonderful in these things. But, friend, you can’t put on something like that without spending some money. And great works—or people getting saved, lives getting changed—somebody’s going to have to foot the bill. God uses people to do it. And the building over there, friend, God’s going to lead us to build; He’s leading this to build. It’s going to take some money, and it’s going to take some sacrifice of God’s people. And by the way, I think it’s good for us to sacrifice for the Lord. And it’s going to take that. Great works of God always, it’s always going to take some finances.
Let’s keep reading here. Would you go back to verse number six here? Verse number six, if you would. “Then the chief of the fathers and the princes of the tribes of Israel, captains of thousands and of hundreds with the rulers of the king’s work offered willingly.” Would you look down in verse number nine? “Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly; because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with a great joy.”
I mean, here’s the thing: when I give willingly, it brings joy. Can I be honest? When I was young, I tithed, and I gave a little bit of offerings; I did it totally out of obedience. I didn’t have much joy, and it was like, “Oh, it’s killing me.” You know, it’s almost like you drop it in there, “Oh, I can’t let go of it.” Somebody, Tammy, pull it out of my hand, put it in there before I can let go of it. I was a little bit on that line. I mean, just—I’m half-Hungarian, and Hungarians like money. If you know anything, if you meet a Hungarian, you mark it down, they like money a whole lot, friend, you know. And I had a little bit of heart, and I obeyed, and God blessed, and God was pleased with that.
But as I’ve gotten older, God’s taught me, and He’s still teaching me. Man, it’s awesome to be able to give. I enjoy it. I love it. I, for years, have dreamed about it. I like it where my biggest check I write every month—by the way, you don’t write many checks nowadays; they say, “Take it out,” you know, about deposits and withdrawals and all these things—but the largest payment I want to be my church check. And we’re getting there a lot of times. I just dreamed about it. I like that. There’s joy when you willingly give. It’s taken me years to get there, and it’s right to obey when I wasn’t there. But God—He’s pleased with that.
You know the verse. Maybe you want to look back over there in 2 Corinthians chapter 9, if you would please. 2 Corinthians chapter 9, and it’s taken me years, but I’m so glad to get there. But 2 Corinthians—keep your finger in First Chronicles; we’ll go back—but 2 Corinthians chapter number 9 and verse number 7. 2 Corinthians 9 and verse number 7 there.
You’re there tonight, amen? Boy, y’all are a little quiet a minute now. Y’all still there? Y’all awake? Amen? All right, good deal. Good deal. We’ll keep going there. Verse of verse seven right there. 2 Corinthians 9, verse of verse seven. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
You’ve heard so many say that, that means hilarious. But it’s your willingness. And when you just give willingly, they were giving willingly what happened? Man, they had joy. The people were rejoicing. David was rejoicing. Remember what Paul said over there to the Ephesian elders, leaders, and he’s repeating what Jesus had said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” There’s so much truth to that, friend. Yes, experience the joy.
For years we’ve had the Angel Tree and given out to needy people around Christmas time and sometimes food, and we’ve taken Thanksgiving meals and all the different things over the years, people. But sometimes, man, we would just—we would load up. It used to be an old church van before this one. We loaded up, and we’d just go to people’s houses and give our Christmas gifts, all kind of gifts, Angel Tree stuff. And boy, I think we had more joy than they ever got out of it. It’s just more blessed to give than receive. There’s a joy to it. And when they were giving willingly, they had rejoicing going on. They enjoyed it.
Now, David’s personal offering, and he led the people to give an offering, and giving to the Lord, such a wonderful thing to do. Then one last thought, we’re done. David finished right. He’s 70 years old. He’s drawing his last breaths. He’s had all kinds of battles all his life: a shepherd bull with the lion and the bear, Goliath, and Saul was trying to kill him, and then he was a leader over Judah, the southern kingdom, and the divided kingdom, and then eventually over all the kingdom, and these battles, Absalom and Adonijah and the Philistines and all these things. And he’s nearing the end after all these battles, but he’s still in the fight for the Lord.
David fell a time or two, sure, like all of us. A just man falls seven times and rises up again. He kept getting up. We all fall. Can I just challenge you tonight to finish right? Finish right. It’s so sad you see someone—maybe a preacher, I know preachers that have lived for the Lord for years and yet at the end they just backslide. A sad thing. Can I encourage you to finish right? David’s finishing right. He’s still serving God. It’s a sad thing over the years you see a lot of people get saved and they get in church for a little while and live for the Lord just a little bit. I’ll finish right though. Can I just challenge tonight to finish right? “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” That’s what Jesus will say at the end of those who finish right. He doesn’t say, “Well done, thou good and talented,” or “You got great numbers and all that.” No, He said, “Well done, thou good and faithful.”
A year or two ago, we went to Florida. We were coming back up—I think it was. Sarah was with us, his daughter—and we were driving through Lake City, Florida. And just a little off the interstate there, I-75, a little bit off the interstate there, there’s a church. We went to—when I was 12 years old, we went to the Lake City Baptist Temple, just a little bitty church. I mean, in their heyday, they may have had a hundred or so. And they’re nothing like that now, and I haven’t been for years and years in their heyday. But we rode—Sarah said, “Well, let’s ride by there.” Sarah’s one of those; she likes to reminisce about all the—and I’m a little bit of a reminiscer, you know—and she likes it. So he said, “All right, we’ll ride by there.” So we rode by there.
Now, I was 12 years old, friend; that’s 40 years ago. Richard Heston—he’s about here, a little short—he used to come in a little bit of Christian school. Maybe I don’t even think they had 20 in there. And he’d come into the Christian school and he’d click his heels like Hitler, you know. So they called him a little Hitler, you know. And he’d make you stand at attention, you know. And Mr. Heston. But all these years—and here’s the amazing thing—40 years later, still a little bit of church. I checked it out today; they don’t have a website. I don’t think they have many. But we rode by, and as I rode by, I see Mr. Heston walk around, old, still there after all these years. And Sarah said, “Come on, Dad, let’s stop. Let’s stop,” you know. And I was like, “No, let’s go, let’s go. We’ve got a long ways to go back to Tennessee,” you know. And those daughters, they can talk dads into a lot of trouble, I’ll tell you for sure, you know. So he stopped.
And the amazing thing is they had a missionary there with a car that wasn’t running, and Mr. Heston, he’s not a mechanic, he was out there trying to help him fix his car. And I went inside, and we got pictures of it and all that. And 40 years later, just a handful of people, but they’re still serving. Still having Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. Still preaching the gospel. They had gospel tracts still. I felt like a giant standing beside them. I mean, I got pictures of both of them on each side of me. I look at the pictures of the day; they’re just short. But man, my hat’s off to that man. I don’t know. That’s been about a year and a half ago, but all these years, and he’s still faithful. He’s going to go home, and the Lord’s going to say, “Well done, thou good and faithful.”
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes today? You say, preacher, and I’m not going to ask to raise your hand, but maybe just God spoke to your heart. I want to finish right. I hope that’s in your heart, your mind. You’ve got to plan to do it and do it on purpose. I want to finish right. I want to finish right. Maybe you say, “I need to grow in giving. I need to grow and learn to give, give willfully and cheerfully and be obedient to the Lord.” It all starts there. Maybe I need to grow in giving. Maybe I’ve lost my passion a little bit. I need to set my affections on the things of God. Somewhere along the line, God spoke to your heart. If that’s you tonight, would you just spend some time with the Lord? Let’s all stand if you would, please. We’ll have a word of prayer and our instruments will play. Let’s spend some time. Let’s draw nigh to the Lord. Would you do that?
Father, thank You for the example of David. All the battles he faced, but he’s still battling for You in the last days and minutes of his life, has a passion for You. Help us to be like that. Lord, help us be givers, be obedient, give willfully. And Lord, use us for Your glory and Your honor. Bless our people tonight these few minutes. Father, we thank You for what You do in Jesus, and we pray. Amen. Would you come? As our instruments play, would you come?
Oh, an example, David. All those years, 70 years old, been king for 40 years and a whole lot of battles before that. But he’s still out there just swinging away for the Lord. Sometimes I’ll tell Ms. Tammy, “Well, we’re swinging away today. I don’t know if we hit anything, but we were swinging away.” And just keep swinging, if you will, for the Lord Jesus Christ and let Him work and bless it and use it at His time, His way. And by the way, praise the Lord for faithful folks in our church. Man, what a blessing. You’re just awesome. And you’re needed. Praise the Lord for you. And thrilled you’re in church on a Wednesday night.
Original File: Finish for the Lord - Pastor Paul Chisgar Wednesday PM 10621