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7 Feb09
Together We Build!
I. Introduction The message below was given to King Solomon from his father, King David. The core message was to encourage King Solomon to build a temple to glorify God. II. Scripture reading 14With great pains I have provided for the house of the Lord100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing, for there is so much of it; timber and stone, too, I have provided. To these you must add. 15You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working 16gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Arise and work! The Lord be with you! ( 1Chron 22）. Q: Does the great God need a home? (1 Chron 17:1-15） A: According to 1Chron 17:1-8，the Lord revealed to King David that He was the Lord who directed their path and walked with them. So, He is not constrained by geographical location. Of course, He will not be confined in a temple too. But there is significance in building a temple for Him: A. To remind the Israelites about God‟s will and God‟s kingdom. B. To proclaim the glory of God. Q: In the New Testament teaching, the church is also not a building. A church is a group of redeemed people
gathering together in the name of the Lord Jesus, to worship the Lord, to study His word and to build one another’s faith, to unite with one heart to save lives for God. If that is so, why should we have a church building fund and ask the people to exercise faith in contributing? A: It is the same reason as the Old Testament. The church needs a place for the people to worship the Lord freely, to pray as one and to experience the glory of God and to declare the kingdom of God on earth. 2．What are the requirements for building the house of God? A: (1) A sincere and sacrificial heart (1 Chron 22:14 ) David declared, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” He told his son, „14With great pains I have provided for the house of the Lord. . .‟ David understood what it meant to give to the Lord – sincere and sacrificial giving, not restricted by outside limitations but only dependent on our love and trust in the great and mighty God. (2) One mind and one heart （2Chron 7:1-3； 6:1-42） From the king down to the common people, everyone was involved: contributing their talents and time, money and possessions. All were of one mind and one heart. God was pleased and His glory filled the temple.
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Q: Share your personal testimony regarding faith pledge.
Conclusion: Together, let us invite the glory of God to dwell in us!