Worship That God Accepts – Part 2 of 2

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. In the book of Exodus, we read of the building of God's tabernacle.

There is great detail on everyone's contribution, both of time and treasure, to make the project a success. When we see giving as an act of worship, we cease focusing on the money and begin focusing on God. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, in the context of worship that God accepts, giving is no longer a burden, but really becomes an opportunity. Dave, you know why I love to preach this message that folks are going to be listening to in just a moment?

Because it really helps us see that when we have a windfall, it is God's intention that it be invested in his kingdom. And I can't think of any better illustration of that than the message that we are going to be listening to in a moment. And at the end of this broadcast, I'm going to be sharing with you some insight into a new book I've written entitled The Eclipse of God. For now, I just want you to listen to this message.

Later on, I'll be giving you some contact info. When you give, you do not give to a project. You do not give to a person. You give to the Lord, the Lord. It'll change the way in which you view your giving.

It really will. Let me tell you why this is so critical. If you give to a church, it is so easy to find fault with what the church does with money. I've never been in a church where I have always agreed necessarily with the way in which money is spent, at least in some small matters.

You may say, well, I'm not sure that we needed this or I'm not sure that we needed that. We here at the Moody Church have the highest standard of integrity with a finance committee that meticulously follows the instructions on your giving envelope. We do before God the very best that we can because we know that we are not dealing with your money. We're dealing really with God's money. But at the same time, it's easy to criticize.

It's easy to find fault. The first thing that people do when they live this way is to say, well, I don't like the way the church did this or that, and so I'm not going to give. The answer, my friend, is you give to God. This is for the Lord.

The leadership of churches and organizations will answer to God for the way in which the money is spent. But this is your gift to God. It'll change the way in which you bring your offering. That offering is for the Lord. It frees you. It frees you. So it was a focused project.

It was a generous project. Now, this is a passage that preachers like to refer to, and it's one that we all love to read. I mean, and you already know it if you have been a Christian for more than two years, you know this passage in chapter 36 of Exodus. Now we've turned the page to chapter 36, and it says, verse three, and they received from Moses. It's speaking about the workmen because God wasn't just interested in their contributions. He was interested in their work, and there were a number of people who built the tabernacle and God gave them the wisdom to know how to do that. But you'll notice it says in verse three, and they received from Moses all the contribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work of the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came each from the task that he was doing and said to Moses, the people bring much more than enough for doing the work of the Lord. So Moses gave a command and the word was proclaimed throughout the camp, let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution of the sanctuary.

So the people were restrained from bringing for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work and more. Now I've been a pastor for 35 years. First of all, in a small Baptist church north of here, and then Moody Church going on toward 30 years, just once, just once, Lord, before I die, may I have to say to the congregation, enough already, we got more money than we can use.

I think I'd probably have to live as long as my dad did before I could say that. It's a marvelous passage. You know what was happening? They had a revival because there's nothing that I remember in Canada in 1970 when God in Western Canada was able to work mightily in the lives of churches and people said we are walking knee deep in love and 20 churches were all participating in what God was doing. They had enough money for anything that they undertook because God opened people's hearts and they began to give. You know, there's a wonderful passage and I hope I can get by with saying this. We'll find out afterwards, but it says in chapter 38 and you have to see this in the text chapter 38 verse eight. It's speaking about the man whom God gifted to build the tabernacle.

He and his associates. And in chapter 38 verse eight it says he made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting. Now you need to understand historically that they did not have glass and mirrors as we do today. And so what happened is they took pieces of brass and they polished them and polished them and polished them until you could see your image in them. And this is what the women used for mirrors.

Now I say this with a smile on my face. If you have a situation in which women are willing to give up their mirrors, you know you've got a God thing on your hands. I mean God was all over this. God was all over this. It is amazing what people can do when God opens their hearts. It was a very generous project.

It was also a glorious project. Chapter 40 you'll notice the tent is finished. The tabernacle has been built and thank you for turning as I give these various passages. Exodus chapter 40 verse 34. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle and Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it and the glory of Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle the people of Israel would set out but if the cloud was not taken up then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day and fire was in it by night in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys. God was saying I approve, I accept what you have done and because of your contribution I will guide you with my cloud.

The Shekinah the cloud of glory that descended on the tabernacle and I know that the whole congregation the whole congregation rejoiced. You say well Pastor Luther what does this teach us about contributions, about money, about all these things? A couple of very important lessons. Number one when God asks us to do something he enables us to do it. When God asks us to do something he enables us to do it.

Have you ever asked yourself this question? We should ask ourselves these questions when we read the Bible but how is it that slaves in a desert can come up with all this gold and silver and brass and bronze and linens and all the rest? Where in the world did that come from? Let me tell you when God called Moses in Exodus chapter 3 when God called Moses you know what he said to Moses? He said my people are going to go into Egypt they are going to be there for 400 years and I'm going to bring them out and they're going to have great possessions.

Now you look at that you say wait a minute how's that going to happen? They go to Egypt they live there as slaves they get whipped they get beaten they're asked to make all these bricks in the hot sun and where in the world is this promise going to be fulfilled? Well after the plagues the Bible says that the Israelites quote plundered the Egyptians. The Egyptians willingly gave them all these things. A couple of reasons first of all the Egyptians were very happy to see them leave very happy to see them leave but number two God obviously did a miracle and in a sense Israel was also being paid for all the times they weren't paid in past generations for all the work that they did but it was a miracle of God no doubt about it. You can just imagine what happened in different homes a woman was about to leave because she was a an Israelite and and she says you know I really do admire that gold pitcher and the Egyptian lady says oh you want a gold pitcher go ahead take it oh you admire those onyx stones put the stones in the pitcher and take both of them oh you need clothes for your children here are two jackets take these two jackets oh you you like the linen over here that I have I'll give you some linen and on and on it went and and therefore the Egyptians willingly gave to the Israelites all these things. Now we need to think about this when this was happening to the Israelites what were they thinking I know what they were thinking they were human beings like yeah I know exactly what I'd be thinking I'd be thinking you know this is really really my lucky day that's what I'd be thinking wouldn't you be thinking that and you know it's not wrong to have money it's not wrong to get a windfall suddenly you know you get the money and it's not wrong because money is important and so I would wasn't it and I saw the movie more than 30 years ago Fiddler on the Roof isn't it Tevye who comes out of the barn and says well because the young guys telling him you know money is a curse and all this and doesn't Tevye say something like this well there's no disgrace to be poor but on the other hand it's no great honor either he says right it's no disgrace to be poor but it's no great honor either I would have been really happy or probably taken all the gold that the Egyptians would have given me that's what they were thinking but you know what God was thinking God was thinking tabernacle they had no idea that they were going to build a tabernacle but that's what God was thinking and when we have a windfall in our life we're thinking oh it's my lucky day praise God I got that bonus you know what God is thinking God is thinking kingdom God is thinking ministry we're thinking how lucky we are God has something else in mind you know I thank God for rich people sometimes people are critical of the rich and they say oh you know they've got all this money and oftentimes it's resentment oftentimes it's our own jealousy toward those that we consider rich but I'll tell you something I've met some rich people in my life and I thank God that they see that their wealth is not through the strength of their own right hand but their wealth is for ministry and because God has so blessed them financially they are able to bless ministries with the huge gifts that are necessary when it comes to greed greed is an equal opportunity sin it is found in the poor as well as in the rich but you know what God is thinking when he thinks of our money he's thinking kingdom and we're thinking oh isn't that great I have all of these investments I've met people who say how wonderful it would have been if I'd have just given my money to something permanent to something eternal because I've lost so much anyway because of the stock market situation would have been better to give it away listen God is teaching us we're going to learn together as we think about the future and as we think that the economic situation is so uncertain God is teaching us and when God asks us to do something he enables he didn't ask them to give something they didn't have he said I gave it to you and now you can use it and the Bible says that it is God who gives you the ability to beget wealth God gives you the ability to beget wealth and God says all this silver all this gold all this linen all the acacia wood is mine I've given it to you but I'm thinking kingdom and I'm thinking ministry number two very important lesson the more willingly we give the more willingly we worship don't miss this don't miss it it says in Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 16 and I'll paraphrase it for you verses 16 and 17 God says that the young men are to come before me and each is to bring an offering and then he says this let no man come before the Lord empty-handed let him give according to the way in which God has blessed him let no man come before the Lord empty-handed you say well that's different because we're in the New Testament in the New Testament the Apostle Paul said in the book of Philippians he said I'm glad that you're giving toward my need but he said it's not because because my need is the overwhelming reason why you give but he says your offering is a sweet saver before the Lord it is an offering for the Lord and that's why we are genuinely speaking the truth when we say that giving is more necessary for you than it is for ministry somehow the ministry will muddle through but it is what it does for you as an act of worship where you say God this is my gift oftentimes before the offering here at the Moody Church you'll hear me say now we continue in worship as we give our tithes and our offerings and you think it's just a segue it's just it's just a way to transition no no no no no I mean it when I say it we say this is my offering now you think of all of the people that come to church empty-handed over the holidays I had an opportunity to speak to another pastor and in his church unlike ours in his church the pastoral staff are able to know what people give here at the Moody Church giving is totally confidential it is known only to the person who fills out a form and sends it to you as to what your contributions were but they discovered that about a third of their membership we're talking members here not attenders we're talking members about a third of their membership didn't give anything so they sent them a letter and they thank them for being a member and so forth but then they asked this question they said does this represent your financial goals for the year that's a good question does it represent your financial goals and these people come before the Lord Sunday after Sunday and they bring nothing to the Lord nothing there was a biography written about a Duke Wellington Duke Wellington and the writer of the biography said that he came across a an account book by the Duke that indicated all of his expenditures and he said that that account book told me more about the Duke than all of his speeches and letters my friend today my friend it is really true that our account book our bank book tells us more about us than all of the songs that we sing and all of the letters and the pronouncements that we make and so the Bible says very clearly that giving is worship giving is worship now I need to stress today that it is so important to realize that when I speak about giving as I did today and about investments because what happens is when you invest for the Lord it is indeed eternal and the dividends will explain in another message but there's some of you here who've never received God's free gifts see the reason that we give is because we have been given to God has given us a gift in Jesus Christ and we have the opportunity of the gift of eternal life and because of that gift we give and that's why I conclude today's message with these words if you have never received the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ if you've never believed on him and received that gift then I can tell you it is much better that you not give because you might think that in giving you can somehow give your way into God's favor and you can't Jesus Christ came to die on the cross for us for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life God gives eternal life to those who believe and once we've once we've received that eternal life then what we want to do is to say Lord all of the money that I have is yours I know I can't spend it all I can't give it all away because I've got bills to pay and mortgages and I need to be able to live but I do have a question Lord what will you have me to do and then you begin to live differently and you enter into the joy the genuine joy of giving to the Lord that's where it's at well let us pray our father we want to thank you so much for this account this story of the faithfulness of your people and we ask Lord that at the beginning of this series that you might help us to understand that it's not about money it's about us it's about our hearts it is a fact that we are your offering we stand in the offering basket and we say Lord here I am show me your will and show me what I must do and now father we ask for those who perhaps have never received the free gift of eternal life help them to understand that that is the fundamental issue and everything else flows from it we thank you that because God gave and we have received that we can be generous teach us Lord to trust you to believe you and thank you for all the good things you are teaching us as we go through this time of economic uncertainty in Jesus name Amen you know I just want to say a personal word and that is as darkness comes upon our land I'm speaking about moral darkness spiritual darkness the number of people who are really committed to God and who are generous I believe that that number is shrinking now of course we hope that God will continue to bring a revival because that's what we desperately need as a matter of fact in my new book entitled the eclipse of God one of the burdens I share is this that we are fighting battles that cannot be won politically it can't even be won as a result of decent arguments because we're living in an age of irrationality we're talking about spiritual warfare we're talking about a nation that seems to be drifting into darkness and thinking that that darkness is light I believe very deeply in this book the eclipse of God it shows how darkness has come to us it also gives information as to how we can stand against the darkness for a gift of any amount we're making it available for you here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337 once again the title of the book the eclipse of God go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 what you'll discover is that we are a nation that is transforming God into an image like onto ourselves it's time to get back to the biblical God you can write to us at running to win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard Chicago Illinois 60614 it's always big news when a wealthy benefactor drops a few million on a college or pays for a new hospital wing but no one seems to notice a poor person giving a quarter to someone else in need that is no one but Jesus whose keen eye watched a lady enter the temple courts one day in Jerusalem a lady with just two mites to give next time don't miss a lesson on when giving less is more running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life thanks for listening this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church