Our God Who Owns Everything

- one of the delightful aspects of the Bible is how it contains the record of so many great days in the history of God working out His divine plan in and through His people…

- it would be interesting to go around our various campuses today and simply brainstorm the topic of “Great Days in the Bible…”…

- and then we could even take a stab at ranking them in terms of which one were your favorite…or have provided the greatest amount of encouragement and strength to you in your personal walk with the Lord…

- we could surely talk about the seven days of creation…

- how long did it take God to make one of these?

- or one of these?

- or one of these?

- would we all agree – those were great days?...

- we could even pause and wonder about the amazing seventh day of creation when the Lord rested…we don’t have a picture of that, do we?...but are we all glad for the God-ordained pleasure of resting?...

- but that’s just the beginning, isn’t it?...we could think about the days each one of the primary biblical covenants were made…with Noah, and Abraham, and David, and then the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31…

- what about the day Jesus was born?...isn’t it amazing that 200 years later, it’s still one of the favorite days on the calendar for many people around the world…

- or the days He called His disciples…or performed amazing miracles…all of that and so much more is recorded on the pages of our Bibles…

- of course there was the day He walked up the hill of Calvary and died on the cross for our sins…in our calendar we call it Good Friday…and many of us still pause on that day, with whatever else we might be doing, and contemplate the tremendous price that had to be paid to forgive the sin of every person who would call upon Him in repentance and faith…

- it’s sobering to contemplate the details of that day…

- aren’t you glad that wasn’t the end of that story?...

- as Pastor S.M Lockridge said in his timeless sermon –It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming…the greatest day in the history of Christ’s church…

- when a person places their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord [and I hope that everyone listening to this message has made that decision, or will be motivated by the Holy Spirit to do so today], the day you become a Christian…your story is grafted into all of these great days of Redemption history…

- it becomes part of you…and you become part of it…great days in the Bible…

- this morning we’d like to study yet another one of those days…it’s the OT event when King David at the very end of his life prays after God’s people had given so generously in preparation for one of the greatest building projects in OT history…the construction of Solomon’s Temple…

- with that in mind, please open your Bible to 1 Chronicles 29…page 317 of the front section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…

- today we’re beginning our Annual Stewardship Month…this was started by my predecessor Bill Goode

- I enjoy history and I like to go back and review minutes from key decisions that have been made over our church’s 58 years together…

- this was what happened on September 19, 1976

There was a recommendation from the Board that we allow $1,000 to be used to set up a Stewardship Program.

$300 – banquet

$300 – 75 books “You Can Beat the Money Squeeze”

$400 – printing that may be needed

- that was a little over a year after Pastor Goode had been called to be the pastor here…

- btw – and this is totally random…but here’s another business meeting decision that occurred the very next month…

- October 24, 1976

There was a recommendation from the Board that we purchase shirts for the basketball team at a cost of approximately $105, plus allowing extra for insurance and gym rental, for a total of $250.00.

We also voted to invite the Christian Counseling Center and Training program to become part of the ministry of Faith Baptist Church and to invite Dr. Robert Smith to prayerfully consider this move.

- for some reason it struck me as humorous that the counseling center decision was made only after we settled the issue of jerseys for the basketball team…

- but the point is – Stewardship Month has been part of this church’s DNA for the past 46 years…

- I remember when Pastor Goode and were making a leadership transition…he asked me if I thought if the value of Stewardship Month had run it’s course…or if I thought it should be continued…and I said without hesitation that I believed it should continue…

- and many of our members would say that the principles we study from God’s Word on these matters have been life-changing and impacted us at the very deepest levels of our relationship to Christ and His church…

- by God’s grace, we have a number of people at all three of our campuses who are new…and if you’re in that category, we want you to know that we are very thankful for you…you’re an answer to prayer and a gift from the Lord to us…

- so what are the components of Stewardship Month?...

- this year there is a stewardship devotional guide that is being distributed at all three campuses…I appreciate our staff members who worked diligently to put this together…

- there are also wonderful testimonies from various church members like the one you heard this morning about what the Lord is doing in some aspect of stewardship in their hearts and lives…

- we focus all our Sunday morning messages on stewardship – this year we’re going back to the basics to look at the four factors of stewardship…[more on that in just a moment]…

- we also encourage everyone attending our church to review where you are in the stewardship of all aspects of your life and make specific commitments to grow in one or more area of your Christian life

- and then the culmination of all of this is our annual stewardship celebration which this year is on November 20^th at the new building that our county constructed at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds

- this event functions as our church’s Thanksgiving Dinner together [except with no dinner, but some very tasty appetizers and desserts]…but more importantly, an opportunity to thank the Lord for all He has done and especially this year, to commit ourselves to our brand new Free to Dream 3 year Strategic Ministry Plan and announce the results of our capital campaign…

- we often say at this time of year – let’s work hard at being good stewards of stewardship month…there’s a lot here from which all of us can benefit…

- so, what is stewardship?... Stewardship – God-given responsibility with accountability.

- and that definition addresses one of the key misconceptions about stewardship – that it is primarily about money…when it’s not…

- stewardship includes anything that the Lord has entrusted to us…for example…our minds…the way we choose to think about life…God trusted us with that capacity…

- our wills…the ability to make choice…

- there’s the stewardship of time…or of our tongues…or of friendships…or of our spiritual gifts…the gospel…ministry opportunities…

- the list is long….which is why it’s not like the pastors pull out the same sermons year and after year because we’re too lazy to prepare something new…

- you could go an entire lifetime and not exhaust what God’s Word says about this subject and how that applies to the practical issues of everyday life…

- I mentioned a moment ago that for decades now, our church family has reminded ourselves of the…

Four Principles of Stewardship

1. God owns everything, you own nothing.

2. God entrusts you with everything you have.

3. You can either increase or diminish what God has given; He wants you to increase it.

4. God can call you into account at any time, and it may be today.

- now, you might ask – are you saying that the church family reminds ourselves of these principles every year?...yes, because we understand the Scripture’s emphasis on the power and importance of being reminded of key biblical truths…Peter said it like this…

- 2 Peter 1:12–13 - Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,

- this year’s messages are our pastors’ attempts to unpack the four factors, which is why today – we’re talking about Our God Who Owns Everything…

- the verses we have before us are right at the end of King David’s life…I mentioned earlier that one of the great days of the Bible was the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7…when God promised that a descendent of David would sit on the throne of God’s kingdom forever—which was a direct illusion to the Lord Jesus Christ and has wonderful implications to the Christmas season…

- well, what was the occasion that the Davidic covenant was given?...it’s when David announced that he wanted to build a house for the Lord…a temple…

- and God told him through the prophet Nathan that this task would be reserved for one of his sons…but because David’s desire to do this revealed important truth about his love for the Lord…God promised…

- 2 Samuel 7:12–13 - “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

- so what did David do with a portion of the remainder of his life?...he started raising money and materials for the project to put his son in the best possible position to succeed…which even tells us more about how David, though woefully imperfect, was a man after God’s own heart…

- now, the capital campaign is over…and the results have been stunning…if you allow your eyes to glance over verses 1-9 of 1 Chronicles, you can see the kind of resources voluntarily given by the people of God…

- now the day has come – one of the many special days in God’s Word – for David to lead the people in a prayer of thanksgiving…

- as I read beginning in verse 10…please look for the emphasis on our very first stewardship principle of how God owns everything…

- read 1 Chronicles 29:10-20

- we’re talking this morning about Our God Who Owns Everything…and with the time we have remaining, let’s look for 3 results of affirming God’s Ownership

I. God’s Ownership Should Result in Praise – 1 Chron. 29:10-13

- I mentioned a moment ago that one of the misconceptions about stewardship is that it is only about finances…nothing could be further than the truth…

- the second misconception is that I own what I have, and then I decide if the Lord should receive a portion, or a percentage, of what is mine…

- this first factor of stewardship stands that issue on its head…God owns everything, I own nothing…

- understanding that is a complete game-changer for the Christian life…and in a very positive way…it should result in praise…why?

A. Because He is our eternal heavenly Father

- 1 Chronicles 29:10 - So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.

- I realize the concept of God’s fatherhood may a difficult one for some depending on the kind of home in which you were raised…

- but the principle of Scripture is that fathers know how to give good gifts to their children…

- so where did you get that mind of yours?...it’s a gift – a trust – from your heavenly father…

- what about the beauty of this created world?...these trees screaming God’s majesty as the leaves turn…that’s a gift from our heavenly father who is good…

- what about those apples that are ripening and are being turned into delicious apple cider, and the taste buds to enjoy them…unless they’ve been impacted by the sinful ravages of COVID?...your good Father owns those apples…and those taste buds…

- now you might say – the problem is – sometimes ownership changes hands…

- owners have financial setbacks so they have to offload some of their assets…

- that’s why this other aspect of God’s character on display in verse 1 is so delightful…

- how long will His ownership last?...forever and ever…

- by the way – this doctrine of God’s ownership is taught throughout Scripture…as in…

- Psalm 24:1 - The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.

- Ephesians 4:6 - one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

- the story continues to build in verse 11…

B. Because of His unparalleled attributes

- It’s almost as if David is running out of words…

• · Greatness

• · Power

• · Glory

• · Victory

• · Majesty

- if someone is going to own everything, this is the kind of person you want it to be…

- we would encourage you this month, even starting with this message, to make as comprehensive a list you can of all that God has entrusted to you…and then ask yourself – do your thoughts, desires, words, actions reveal that you truly believe God owns that?...we should praise Him because this is true…and also…

C. Because of His Lordship

- 1 Chronicles 29:11b - …indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.

- we’re in the process right now of our annual deacons’ election…

- some of the most important discipling activities and service in this church occur through our deacons and their wives and their families…

- and so our congregation suggests people they believe meet biblical qualifications…and then those men and their families have to decide if they are willing to serve in that way…

- well, how do they make such a consequential decision?...the answer is – through the lens of the biblical truth that God owns everything…

- how much do we pay our deacons?...their wives?...their children?...[and we could have this same conversation about anyone who serves at this church at any level]…the last I checked – it’s nothing…

- so why would anyone serve in any way, especially accepting a heavy responsibility like our deacons do?...answer – because they have done serious business with the first factor of stewardship…

- it’s not my time, or my schedule, or my convenience, or my giftedness – it belongs to my wonderful God…who is great, and powerful, and glorious, and victorious, and majestic…and He is my exalted head…

- in other words – Jesus owns me…not just a slice of me…I’m denied myself, and taken up my cross, and I’m following Him…

- and what right does Jesus have to own any of us?.... Acts 20:28 - …to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

- this is why Psalm 104 affirms… Psalm 104:24 - O Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions.

- and that takes us to the crux of David’s point…

D. Because of His blessing

- 1 Chronicles 29:12–13 - Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.

- this really erases the word “mine” from our vocabulary, doesn’t it?...and isn’t that a sign of going from being a child to being an adult…not just physically, but spiritually as well?...

- so during this all-important stewardship month, let’s allow the reminder of God’s ownership to result in praise…

II. God’s Ownership Should Result in Humility – 1 Chron. 29:14-17

- David was surely an imperfect man…but there’s no question about what he thought of this tremendous amount of resources that had been raised for the construction of Solomon’s temple…he was humble…

A. Because our good deeds come from God’s good hand

- 1 Chronicles 29:14 - But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You.

- please contrast this to a parable that Jesus told about a rich fool… Luke 12:16–19 - And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’

- what word do you see over and over in that passage?...my, my, my…and what happened?...

- Luke 12:20–21 - “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

- I know that I struggle with pride – and in these remaining years of my life and ministry I would invite anyone from our church family to call me out on it any time you’d like to…but meditating on the truth of this first factor of stewardship can really help us…God owns everything….we own nothing….

B. We are simply sojourners on land we do not own

- 1 Chronicles 29:15 - For we are sojourners before You, and tenants, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope.

- that’s an incredible acknowledgement because the concept of God’s people having their own land was a key provision of the Abrahamic covenant…which is why Israel having their own land is frequently contested even to this day…

- yet David humbly acknowledges…it’s not our land…God owns it…

- Leviticus 25:23 - ‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.

- when we think of anything that we “have title to” in those terms…it has a way of putting in our place…and asking, how am I using the land and buildings God has entrusted to me and my family in humble service for the King?...

- so where does this mindset lead?...

C. Which ultimately results in joy

- please follow David’s logic…

- 1 Chronicles 29:16–17 - O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and all is Yours. Since I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.

- would agree with this – selfishness produces sadness and anxiety…stewardship produces joy and trust…

- has selfishness ever brought you lasting joy?...

- what did Jesus tell his disciples after He washed their feet and instructed them to serve one another in a similar fashion?...

- John 13:17 - If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

- here’s another reason that joy would have been available at that moment…what was the point of the temple anyway?...we get a hint in verse 21 about what they did the day after this prayer was offered… 1 Chronicles 29:21 - On the next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and offered burnt offerings to the Lord, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.

- the pastors who spoke last week from Psalm 145 helped us see this point – God’s greatness is demonstrated in His willingness to forgive… Psalm 145:8 - The Lord is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.

- if you fast-forward this story to the actual dedication of the temple after the project is completed…there’s another great day…and if your time allows this week, you might want to study 2 Chronicles 6…because here David’s son Solomon offers a prayer on behalf of the people after the ark of the covenant is brought in signifying the special presence of God among His people…and it’s amazing to note how much of the prayer is dedicated to God’s willingness to forgive His people when they’ve sinned…

- there’s no greater joy than to meet with a holy God…and find forgives and cleansing in Him…

- this is an important part of what has been motivating our planning process this year and the capital campaign our church family launched back on May 15^th when the plan was approved…

- why do we want to see this new building for our men’s restoration ministry completed (Kari – please work with Greg to get 1-2 pictures, at least one aerial, of the new barn project) – so that men who need a period of special help at a particular point in their lives can find what?...the joy of forgiveness and sanctification…and if we can do something together to make that happen…it doesn’t result in heartache because we no longer have the resource…or pride because of anything we did…it results it joy because God owns all of it anyway…

- the same is true for this Faith Christian School expansion…

- we want to support students and families who choose home schooling, or public schooling…but we were troubled that our school is reaching the place where we would have to start turning students and families away who were seeking a Christian education…what are we hoping is going to happen as a result?...more young people will find the joy of knowing and serving Christ…

- so, God’s ownership should result in praise, and result in humility, and lastly…

III. God’s Ownership Should Result in Commitment

- in verse 18, David reminds the people of the great patriarchs, beginning with Abraham…

- 1 Chronicles 29:18 - O Lord, the God of Abraham…

- that could remind us too, of another amazing day in the Bible, and yet another affirmation of God’s ownership…

- it was after Abraham won the miraculous battle of the kings…and an obscure priest appears…one of the more mysterious characters in all of Scripture…do you remember his name?... Genesis 14:17–18 - Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.

- and what did Melchizedek say?...

- Genesis 14:19–20 - He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”…

- what did Melchizedek, and Abraham, both understand on this marvelous day?...that God owns everything, and you own nothing…

- do you remember what braham did next?...

- Genesis 14:20b - …He gave him a tenth of all.

- Abraham knew where all of those spoils from this historic military victory came from…so he made a financial commitment by giving this priest of God a tenth of it all…

- on behalf of all of our pastors and deacons, we want to thank our church family for behaving very similarly this year, and all through the pandemic…

- the financial generosity of our people, makes it clear that the majority of our church family long ago came to the conclusion that God owns everything – they own nothing…

- and what does that put us in the position to do?...I suppose there are many answers…but perhaps this vignette explains it as well as any…

- occasionally we receive letters from people who are incarcerated…the envelopes are distinctive because the writing is in pencil, and there’s a stamp from whatever jail or prison the person is writing from…

- a couple of weeks ago we received one from a local jail…and it was a young man who explained that he had gotten involved in drugs and subsequently arrested…

- but he went on to say he had been living with his sister and her children…

- and he was concerned that Christmas was coming…and he knew that he had messed up and now the kids were just trying to process their sadness about him being gone…

- but he wondered if there was any way our church could help with Christmas presents for the kids…

- I passed the information along to Matt and Nadia Bechler who do an excellent job of organizing our Christmas for Everyone ministry

- and I asked them if they had the bandwidth to contact the sister…and they did.

- in the process of communicating with her, they asked if there were any other needs and learned that a couple of the children did not have shoes that fit…or coats and hats and gloves for the winter…

- so what did we do about that?...well, we took them to the temple…

- you say – what do you mean by that?...of course Solomon’s temple has long ago been destroyed…but for believers in Jesus Christ….what are we?

- 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 - Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

- so these faithful followers of Jesus Christ, because of the finances that have been generously given to our deacons’ fund, and will be given to CFE, are in the process of meeting these needs…

- and who knows – this young man may some day place his faith and trust in Christ…and if you ask, but what about his criminal record…we’re going to be taking that to the temple too…

- and what about this sister – where’s the husband of the children?...we don’t believe in judging other people…because we’ve had to go to the temple too often ourselves…

- and what about these children?....we’re going to do everything we can in the name of Jesus to be a wonderful blessing to them…

- why?...because God owns everything, and we own…nothing

- understanding that should result in praise, and in humility, and in commitment…