My Pulpit Message - notes Give willingly
My Pulpit Message Notes are extracted from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 12th June 2022. Preacher: Pastor Elijah Mokaya, Youth Pastor at NBC Ngong Road. Scripture: Exodus 35:4-36:7. Topic: Give willingly - Giving is one of those controversial topics in the Church of Christ because we seem to swing between two extremes. One extreme is the one that is taught in a manner that contradicts Scriptures, or blows out of proportion what the Scriptures say about the matter. This would be the extreme of the health, wealth and prosperity. -The other extreme is when we become suspicious of any mention of giving and treat Biblical passage that have to do with giving with a little less seriousness. Both extremes are wrong and violate the Word of God.
tion of the Tabernacle. The offering collected was for the worship of YAHWEH. It was the for the purpose of making a sanctuary for Him. Before they left Egypt, Moses had declared to Pharaoh what God was saying, “Let my people go so that they may worship Me.” In the wilderness God was about to institute an elaborate system of worship and they were to give towards that. Giving willingly is an act of worship. Do you view your giving as an act of worship?
Giving willingly is an act of gratitude, because only one with a grateful heart, a heart that acknowledges that everything one has is given by God would be able to willingly give. 1. The Act of giving willingly. God is not impressed by unwilful obedience or mere external forms of wor2. The Basis of giving willingly. ship. He is concerned about the state of the heart of the giver/worshipper. Giving is an 3. The Consequences of giving willingly. act of gratitude. Psalms 50:7-15. It seems as though the people had gotten to the place where they were giving without an acknowledgement of what the giving represented. As (Exodus 35:4-9) though they were doing God a favour. God says, “Listen, my people, and I will speak; I will testify against you, Israel: I am God, your God. 8 I bring no charges against you “4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the LORD has command- concerning your sacrifices or concerning your burnt offerings, which are ever before ed: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to me 9 I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens,10 for every bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle and bronze; 6 blue, purple and scarlet yarn on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird and fine linen; goat hair; 7 ram skins dyed in the mountains and the insects in the red and another type of durable leather[a]; Giving willingly is an act of obedience, worship and gratitude. fields are mine. 12 If I were hungry I would acacia wood; 8 olive oil for the light; spices The basis for our wilful giving should be based on opportunity, not tell you, for the world is mine, and all for the anointing oil and for the fragrant inthat is in it.13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls cense; 9 and onyx stones and other gems to ability and conviction. God has pointed us to the consequenc- or drink the blood of goats? 14 “Sacrifice be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.” es of our giving willingly. It results in abundance and account- thank offerings to God, fulfil your vows to the Most High, 15 and call on me in the ability. Notice in verse 4 that Moses did not day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you address some of the people. “Moses said to will honour me.” the whole Israelite community.” This was Giving willingly is an act of not a message/command/instruction to a gratitude, an acknowledgement that evchosen few. It was not just to those who were rich in the community, or the extremely erything you have has literally been given by God. religious. It was to the whole Israelite community. Unless we are persuaded that God had given us everything, we will not be Moses goes ahead and says, “This is what the LORD has commanded”. Not able to give willingly. suggested, but commanded. God commanded that they take an offering for the LORD. David seems to understand these things in ways that perhaps you and I will This offering was to be taken from everyone who was willing to bring an offering. never understand. In 1 Chronicles 29, when David is requiring from the people to It is easy when we hear the LORD saying, ‘Everyone who is willing to bring an give an offering for the building of the Temple that his son will later build and he gives offering’, so to figure, If I am not willing then I am released from that command. No. himself quite a lot. After everything had been collected from 1 Chronicles 29:9-14, “9 That is for you to work your heart to willingness, because giving willingly is an act of The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely obedience and God instructs us to give and to do it willingly. and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly. David’s Prayer God is not merely concerned about our external forms of worship and obe- 10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to dience, but He is concerned with the state of our hearts when we obey and giving you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.11 Yours, Lord, willingly is an act of obedience. is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted Giving is also an act of worship. The offering that the people were required as head over all. 12 Wealth and honour come from you; you are the ruler of all things. to give was actually for the construction of the Tabernacle. Moses had received the In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13 Now, our instruction first from the LORD and reading all the way to chapter 25 of Exodus you God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” see the LORD giving Moses instructions on the construction of the Tabernacle. And then he comes to verse 14, a man that had given so much, this is his Exodus 25:1-9 “The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to bring me an attitude, “14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what them to give. 3 These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and comes from your hand.” bronze; 4 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 5 ram skins dyed red Giving willingly is an act of gratitude and when you lay it at the altar you and another type of durable leather[a]; acacia wood; 6 olive oil for the light; spices for thank God that you have the privilege in the first place to be able to give such to him. the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 7 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” There are three things from the text that act as the basis, causing us to give willingly: Continuing from chapter 25 God gives Moses details on what to do in terms a. Opportunity. of construction for the sanctuary that God desired. b. Ability. The reason why the people were giving was for the purpose of the construcc. Conviction The ABCs of Giving Willings
The act of giving willingly.
The basis of giving willingly.
TT 156 | June 14th- June 20th| 2022
