Matt Hagee - Unlock the Power of Generosity

TOPICS: Generosity

Hello and welcome to this week’s Sunday conversation. In our Bible reading, as we’ve been going through the chronological books of the Bible and reading it in a year, we’ve now come through First Chronicles. We’re still in the history section of the scriptures, looking at the history of Israel. This particular section of scripture begins with Joshua, goes through Judges, Ruth, First and Second Samuel, which gives us the account of the life, ministry, and work of the prophet Samuel, primarily in King Saul and David’s life. Then we get into First Kings, which looks primarily at Solomon, David’s son, ending with the division of the two kingdoms: Israel and Judah.

Now we’re in First Chronicles. Chronicles is the written history from the scribes, and it begins with Abraham and goes all the way through to the rebuilding of Jerusalem after Cyrus in Second Chronicles, which gives the edict that the temple should be rebuilt that Nebuchadnezzar had torn down. So we’re getting a parallel history but from a different perspective.

Today, at the end of First Chronicles, we come to the death of David and the last few events that happened in his life and during his time as the king of Israel. One of the most remarkable things — seldom talked about — is the provision that he set aside for the building of the temple. In First Chronicles 29, it discusses how he set aside gold, silver, and all kinds of work to be done by the craftsmen who were willing to consecrate themselves for the day of the Lord. Some biblical scholars estimate that what David set aside was greater than $200 million; some say it could be billions of dollars in today’s value. But the bottom line is that this was no small offering; David was giving his absolute best. We can read about it in First Chronicles 29 and following. It says, «Now David blessed the Lord before all the congregation,» and David said, «Blessed are you, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. For all that is in heaven and in earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head over all.»

Verse 12 states, «Both riches and honor come from you, and you reign over all. In your hand is power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.» This is the prayer that David prayed as he was setting aside these provisions for the temple. He shares a very important truth: if you are going to prosper in your life, you have to understand that both riches and honor come from God and that in His hand is the power to make great. You must decide that it is God’s will for you to prosper; you must decide that it is God’s desire for you to know His goodness in this life. This is what David is saying: in your hand is the power to make great. Riches and honor come from you.

This is a message that we read throughout the Word of God. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, «And you shall remember that it is the Lord who gives you the power to get wealth.» This is directly connected to your ability to obtain material possessions on the earth. It continues throughout the Word of God all the way to the end of the book. In Third John 2, the author writes, «Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers.» It’s not a selective message; God shared it with Joshua. After the death of Moses, when Joshua was looking for direction and instruction about how he was going to lead, God told him in Joshua 1:8, «This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.» God was connecting Joshua’s ability to follow His word with his ability to prosper.

When Moses was speaking to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 6:10, he said, «God will give you houses that you didn’t build, vineyards that you didn’t plant, and wells that you didn’t dig,» because the Lord delights in the prosperity of the righteous. One of the things that you have to establish in understanding the relationship that God has with His children is that He is not a stingy God; He is a gracious one. He not only wants you to receive liberally, but He wants you to give liberally. People say, «Well, I don’t understand how this is a spiritual teaching that comes from this text.» What you need to understand is that everything comes from God. And since everything comes from God, as David says, «In your hand is power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all,» He says very clearly that all things come from you.

In First Chronicles 29:14, he says, «Who am I, and who are my people that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you.» Listen, «And of your own, we have given you.» David says that the things we are giving back are things that you gave to us. So really, all we’re doing is giving you what you gave us. What a perspective on giving! Since everything is God’s, then what you do with it is a spiritual decision. Every place that you choose to go, everything that you choose to do, is a spiritual decision. I’ve often heard Pastor Hegy say that he can tell by your checkbook what you love, because what you invest in is what you believe in. Nice vacation: $ 50,000? Maybe that’s too nice. Maybe you go on a $ 10,000 vacation. Offering: $10. Cell phone plan: $150 to $200 a month. Foreign missions: $2. Look at the things you give to, and ask yourself, «What am I believing in, and what am I believing for?» David very clearly says that all things come from God and that all things you give, you receive from God, which makes you the steward and God the owner.

This is what Jesus spoke about in the parable of the talents: that the master left the talents with his servants and then came back and asked for an accounting. We will give an account for how we managed God’s resources, and when we give an account, how are we going to justify where we sent the resources that He gave to us? We have to understand that it is not only God’s will for us to prosper, but what we do with what God gives us determines whether or not we prosper. One of the reasons that David prospered is because he understood where his blessings came from. One of the reasons God showed grace to Solomon-you can read it in First Kings and Second Kings, the books that we recently studied-is that God told Solomon, «I’m not going to destroy the kingdom while you’re on the throne for David’s sake.» One of the reasons that God did that for Solomon is because David knew where his blessings came from, and David gave freely to the Lord what he had received freely from the Lord.

In verse 16, he says, «O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build you a house for your holy name is from your hand and is all your own.» He was letting everyone know that everything that he had came from God. God makes this point Himself throughout the Word of God in several places. He says, «All the gold is mine; all the silver is mine. All of the wealth that is in the world belongs to God and is for His children.» Now some people have a difficult time believing that, but you have to recognize that all of it belongs to God and is for His children. You do not qualify for His blessings until you become His child. My dad has five children; all five of his children had free access to his refrigerator anytime we wanted it. But bring a neighbor kid over, and if that kid goes in the refrigerator, suddenly we want to know who his name is and what he’s looking for. I have four children; anything in my house belongs to those kids because they belong to me. But when an outsider walks into that environment, I want to know why they’re there and what they need.

When you are living for the Lord and you are His child, then everything that He has, you have access to according to His word. When you pray, «Our Father which art in heaven,» you have the opportunity to receive what that Father can provide, but that doesn’t begin until Christ is your Savior. This is why Jesus said very clearly, «No man comes unto the Father but by me.» He said that in John chapter 14. In John chapter 10:9, He said, «I am the door, and those who go in and come out shall find pasture.» He’s saying, «I’m the only avenue; I’m the only channel through which blessings come.» When you’re God’s child, God’s blessings belong to you. The Bible describes you as an heir and a joint heir with Jesus.

What you need to believe for is that not only does God have the ability to provide, but God wants to provide, and He wants you to use what He provides not only to be a blessing to others but to establish His kingdom. Why was David able to give so much in this offering? Because what he was doing was building a house for God to dwell among His people; he was establishing God’s kingdom. The temple that was going to be built with these resources-the first temple that Solomon built-is the same temple where Jesus walked and prayed. Jesus came just days before His crucifixion and where Jesus will come again when He returns to this earth. This was not a small thing that David was doing; this was a prophetic act. This was the proclaiming and taking of generations of God’s design for the rest of the history of the world. Because David was doing what God wanted, God provided it overwhelmingly beyond what anyone could ask or imagine.

I take you back to a statement that my grandmother, Miss Beta Hegy, made very regularly: «The secret to success is finding out what God wants you to do and then doing that.» Whenever you are doing what God wants, you will not lack for anything. Not only is it God’s will for you to prosper and not only do all resources come from God, but you, as His child, qualify to receive those resources. The Bible literally calls you an heir and a joint heir with Jesus. In this one particular chapter in First Chronicles 29, David tells us what we need to remember: that it is our privilege and our joy to give to the God who has given us all things. When you practice these simple scriptural principles, you’ll find that God is a God who provides graciously for those who put their trust in Him. Thank you for joining us for this week’s Sunday conversation. I look forward to seeing you again very soon.