Today we begin our renovation campaign of “Building in Faith.” Taking care of the facilities God has blessed us with is important. The condition of God’s house often is a reflection of God’s people who gather there. If the house is in disrepair, the surrounding community would think the people who gather there are in disrepair as well. This campaign is a much about revitalizing God’s people as we renovate God’s house. As we build up God house, we must also be building up God’s people.
This 5 week sermon series, “The Revitalization of the Lord’s House and People,” will take us up through to March 10th, our high attendance day, or “Pack the Pews Day” when were are asking for pledge cards to be returned. The sermon today we are looking at “Repairing God’s House.” In today’s reading we will see that Solomon’s Temple, on the Temple mount in Jerusalem, was in need of some serious repair. It had been neglected and vandalized. The Temple was a little over a century old at this point. A parallel passage can be found in 2 Kings 12 and we'll be visiting a few verses from that account of the story.
2 Chronicles 24:4–14 (NKJV)
Warren Wiersbe comments that there must be a balance between those who oppose church buildings and say its all a waste of money while there are others who almost worship their buildings. However he did He related this experience: “I recall preaching one Sunday evening to a congregation that met in a church building that was in such disrepair that it couldn’t help but embarrass the members and the visitors they brought. It was doubtful that any of the members lived in houses in that condition (Hag. 1:1–6). I asked one of the church leaders why they didn’t fix things up, and he replied somewhat sarcastically, “Oh, most of our budget has to go to foreign missions. And do you know what the missionaries do with the money we send them? They fix their buildings!” It wasn’t a matter of either home or foreign [missions] but of balance.” [1]
Others have mentioned that the care of this place is a duty, so we can perform ministry to our community. From our passage I want to emphasize 3 points.
1. Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord.
2. The people gladly gave with joy.
3. All funds were rightfully handled.
Let’s look at the first point: 1. Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord.
Joash became king at age seven. He was mentored by the priest Jehoiada. Joash did right as long as he had godly counsel from Jehoiada. If you read the rest of the chapter, you will see that when Jehoiada dies, Joash listened to ungodly counsel and fell away from doing right. For a sermon at another time, you can see the importance of keeping godly counsel and mentors around you.
2 Chronicles 24:4 (NKJV) Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD.
As you can see from the offering envelopes and pledge cards, this verse is our theme verse for this campaign. Why did Joash set his heart on doing this. He was calling the nation back to the Lord and the Temple was their symbol of their devotion to God. The previous administration had left the temple in disrepair.
2 Chronicles 24:7 (NKJV) For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also presented all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD to the Baals.
Athaliah was the mother of the previous king, Ahaziah. See had advised him to do wicked, and when he died she took over. She killed off all the heirs to the throne except Joash, who was hidden away. The Temple need to be brought back to the splendor it once had.
2 Chronicles 24:13 (NKJV) So the workmen labored, and the work was completed by them; they restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it.
In fact, the work was done efficiently and plenty of funds were given so that there was funds left over to replace the articles of worship.
2 Chronicles 24:14 (NKJV) When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; they made from it articles for the house of the LORD, articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.
But with many major restoration projects, not everything went smoothly at first.
2 Chronicles 24:5–6 (NKJV) Then he gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you do it quickly.” However the Levites did not do it quickly.
What was wrong? The people were being taxed and the Levites depended on the most of that income for their own upkeep and subsistence. So Joash made some changes to way things were being done.
2 Chronicles 24:8–9 (NKJV) Then at the king’s command they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the LORD. 9 And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness.
As we will see, with the box, all funds received went to the restoration of the temple. The people were now free to give offerings to the work. They were no longer force to pay a tax, with no say as to where and how the funds are spent. They knew all that was given will go into the repairs of the temple. That leads us to point number 2.
2. The people gladly gave with joy. The people gladly gave and there was more than enough money to do what needed to be done.
2 Chronicles 24:10 (NKJV) Then all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought their contributions, and put them into the chest until all had given.
An important thing to notice here, it was not just the people who gave, but their leaders as well. Ellen and I are joyfully contributing to the repairs at Rosemont. This is our church too, and we want this place to shine for the glory of God in this community. Cheerfully giving is an important NT concept. Paul writes about greefully giving:
2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (NKJV) But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
Now listen closely. This is extremely important. With this renovation campaign, we are not compelling anyone to give. Any pledges made and any gift given for this project, must be done cheerfully and with rejoicing. We are not asking anyone to give or make a pledge if it cannot be made joyfully. Also all gifts must be beyond what is normally given, above your normal tithes and offerings, because we still have our regular ministries to perform, the normal electric and gas bills and salaries to pay.
But one thing I can attest to. You cannot out give God. God blesses sacrificial giving, especially that giving that is done joyfully and in love. Even Paul when he was asking the church at Corinth to give to help the poor saints in Jerusalem, He mentioned the poor churches in Macedonia that were asking for the opportunity to give:
2 Corinthians 8:3–4 (NKJV) For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
These poor churches in Macedonia was asking for the opportunity to give. They wanted to give. So Paul asked the church at Corinth, he did not command them to give.
2 Corinthians 8:8 (NKJV) I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.
That is how we are presenting this campaign. Not a command, but a opportunity to joyfully give and see how God is going to bless.
With the funds coming to do this important work, Joash took careful measures to insure that all was done right and proper. This brings us to the third and final point:
3. All funds were rightfully handled. In businesses and especially among God’s people, financial management must be open, transparent, and above reproach.
2 Kings 12:10 (NKJV) So it was, whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up and put it in bags, and counted the money that was found in the house of the LORD.
Notice no one person handled the money. One person was from the administration of the King, and the other was from the staff of the high priest. They carefully counted all the funds. And these were trustworthy men who have proven themselves. Again, this is a NT principle, of never having one single person handle God’s money. Concerning the gifts made for the poor saints in Jerusalem, Paul took precautions to insure it was handle by several others, apart from himself. Paul sent Titus and one other trustworthy brother, chosen by and from the other churches.
2 Corinthians 8:18–20 (NKJV) And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, 19 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, 20 avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—
Proper administration of funds is crucial. This is the way we do things at Rosemont. I do not handle any money, but we have entrusted it trustworthy people appointed by the deacons.
You may say that you trust me, but some people do not know me, it is important that there be no questions. We have to stay above reproach, we have more important things, like our faith in Jesus, for people to question us about. Getting side-tracked into discussion about how we administer funds, take away from our central message of the gospel.
2 Corinthians 8:21 (NKJV) providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
And we can see how returning integrity to the temple, God blessed them. I believe integrity in handling of the funds was key to the people giving joyfully, for they knew their gifts were going to go where it was intended.
2 Kings 12:14–15 (NKJV) But they gave that to the workmen, and they repaired the house of the LORD with it. 15 Moreover they did not require an account from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be paid to workmen, for they dealt faithfully.
People did ask for an account, but if they were rightly administering the fund, they could give an account at any time. All was done above board and in the sight of all, with integrity. God blessed them because they had more than enough to do the repair, and as we read earlier, they were able to replace the articles for worship with the excess funds.
You see giving is all about honoring God and trusting Him to provide. Not just for the project at hand, but for our individual needs. But the call is much more. We are first called to Jesus. Paul talked about the Macedonians and their giving more than expected:
2 Corinthians 8:5b (NKJV) but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.
This is a key point. You must first give yourself to the Jesus before you can do anything else. If you haven't first given yourself to Jesus, all else done will amount to nothing. It is in the giving of our selves first and foremost, followed by the indwell of the Holy spirit that will enable us to give and to serve, all cheerfully and joyfully.
So even before we ask you to give, our first question today is, "Do you know Jesus?"
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Distinct, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2002), 87.
