I Love My Church

1CHRON.29:1-5 "I LOVE MY CHURCH"

A) Someone sent me a list some time ago entitled, "Satan’s Beatitudes!"

* They said if the devil were to write his beatitudes they would probably go something like this:

* Blessed are they who are too tired and busy to go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays,

for they are my best workers.

* Blessed are they who are bored with the minister’s mannerism and mistakes, for they get

nothing out of his sermon.

* Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited to his own church, for he is part of

the problem instead of the solution.

* Blessed are they who gossip, for they cause strife and divisions that please me.

* Blessed are they who are easily offended, for they soon get angry and quit.

* Blessed are they who do not give their tithes and offerings to carry on God’s work, for they

are my best workers.

* Blessed are they who profess to love God, but hates his brother, for he shall be with me forever.

* Blessed are the trouble-makers, for they shall be called the children of Satan.

* Blessed are the complainers, for I am all ears to them.

B) As I thought about that list, two things immediately hit me!

* Number one, I can honestly say that I have pastored every one of those types of church members!

* Number two, What the church desperately needs is more members who simply love their church!

* But not only love their church, but love their church the way God loves the church!

C) You see, God loves the church sacrificially! * He gave His Son for it!

* God loves the church unconditionally ... When He’s pleased with it & when He’s not pleased ...

* God loves His church eternally! * He will never, ever stop loving the church!

* There is a blessing that comes to every church member who really will love his church, and love

it in the right way, and love it for the right reason!

* I want to share with you my 3 beatitudes for a church member who truly loves his church the way

Jesus wants him to love it!

(1) BLESSED IS THE CHURCH MEMBER WHO GIVES HIS CHURCH HIS LOVING AFFECTION!

* The background of this story is fascinating! * David had a desire to build a house for God!

* It was a legitimate desire, it was a noble desire, it was an honorable desire!

* But God, in His sovereign will and purpose, did not want David to build the house!

* He wanted David’s son, Solomon, to build the house!

A) Now, David was still the king of Israel! * David could have got mad and pouted,

* He could have walked away from it and said, "I wont have anything to do with it."

* David could have said, "There’s nothing in this for me." * You think about this!

* David was going to give to build a house of worship that would benefit someone else!

* David was going to give to build a house of worship that he would never attend!

* David was going to give to build a house of worship that he would not even live to see!

* Had David said, "What’s in it for me?" he wouldn’t have given one dime to see that house built!

B) But David’s heart was, "I want to invest in the work of God any way that I can!"

* "I am willing to build a house of worship even if I will never enter into it if it means God can

be glorified, the Word can be preached, and other people can be saved."

* Notice what he said in v.1, "The Temple is not for man, but for the Lord God."

* I want to say to our church, that whatever buildings we build and wherever we build them,

they are never to be monuments to the pastor or to any one individual!

* They are to be built for God, for His glory, for His kingdom, & for the preaching of His Word!

C) Now, I wish I had the time to go into detail of telling you exactly what David gave,

* Because in modern day terms, David gave over $20 billion!

* But it is not WHAT David gave that is so impressive, it is WHY David gave! * Listen to v.3!

* David gave to God’s house because he loved God and he loved God’s house!

D) So, I want to ask you a question, in fact, I want to ask you a series of questions!

* Do you love God’s church? * I’m not asking do you love me, or the Deacon, or teachers,