When King David’s goal of building a temple for his God was put on hold (because God told him that he was a man of iron and blood), and that it would fall to his son to build the temple, David was not deterred.  Though he knew he would never see the temple built, he emptied his treasures and his personal wealth to aid in its construction. Why? David knew the promises of God, and at the heart of those promises was that God would restore his broken world, and central to that promise to Israel was the temple. David was not naïve; he knew God couldn’t be contained in a temple, but he also knew that in reality, the temple was the visible and local dwelling place of God—the place God was pleased to meet his people in worship and sacrifice.

David’s rationale for his generosity to something he would never see is made clear in a statement he made to Araunah, the gentleman from whom he purchased the land for the temple. When the land was offered to him as a gift, David replied, “...I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” What he is saying is significant both then and now, and represents the mindset of the people of God, who since time immortal have sacrificed deeply for the cause of the gospel. David is saying something like this: “I know I can’t pay for, earn, or merit my salvation—that is mine by grace and the sacrifice of God on my behalf. But in light of the grace God has shown me, I will not sit idly by; I want to participate in the spreading of God’s fame and glory to other people. I am indebted to God for his mercy to me and I will show my thanks by helping build this temple, which will enable more and more people to hear of my God.” That, or something like it, is intended by David’s insistence that he will not be a spectator in salvation history.

The New Testament continues in the same vein, but puts even more obligation on us, because unlike David—who saw salvation history through a glass darkly—we have witnessed the full-blown revelation of God in Jesus. We have seen the final sacrifice that has brought us out of darkness and into light—God himself died the death we should have so we would never have too. This truth, this knowledge, this amazing grace has so electrified the people of God for centuries that they have begged to participate in what God is doing to restore the world. A good example of this in seen in some of the beautiful church buildings built in the large metropolitan cites of New England. A number of years ago, a gentleman was doing some research on church buildings in New England and as he went from church to church inspecting the architecture and studying the form, he looked at the construction dates on the cornerstones of the buildings, and it suddenly hit him—many of these buildings were constructed in the era known as “The Great Depression.” Imagine that; this country has never seen such poverty as during the Great Depression, especially in our cities. So why did they still build churches during this time? What would move those people who were already strapped for money, struggling to get by, and many living in poverty? What moved them was what has always moved the people of God. They looked at the enormity of God’s sacrifice for them, and they wanted to be a part of spreading the gospel. They didn’t say, “this is not a good time”, or “let others do it.” No, they said, “We want to be a part of what God is doing in history!”

We just collected the gifts from the leadership of the church, which represents about 28% of the giving units in our congregation, and 93% of our leaders gave their gifts. It was like April 15th last Friday (the day their pledges were due!), as one by one they came in with their pledge cards and time for coffee and conversation. It was hysterical. I was planning to finish a sermon Friday morning. Not a chance. It was like a long party as we all sensed that we were a part of something much bigger than ourselves, and like dogs playing checkers, we were just glad to be in the game and to play a part. And they have played the part—they pledged over $750,000 to see St. Patrick have a new address next year!

We had our leaders pledge first because in the Bible, when King David gave his pledge to the temple, he then asked his leaders to step up and lead in their giving. When they did, David then asked the whole congregation of Israel, “Who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord?” The text says that in response to the overwhelming generosity of their leaders, “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.” May it be so here!

What we are asking each person to do is the same thing we have asked our leaders to do: invest in something that will outlive us all and have eternal value. People are the only thing that will last. Our money will go, our bodies will go, our houses will go, but in the end, the only thing that will last after the consummation of the age are people. I don’t know about you, but I think about investing—investing my life in something that has eternal value, investing money in something that will reap big and eternal rewards, and yet investing in something real, tangible, and that I can participate in. That is what I ask you to invest in and give sacrificially to a place that will be a home and sanctuary, a place of welcome to broken people who need grace like a thirsty man needs water. A place that will ring with the laughter of the redeemed and yet also be a place where people can mourn loss and find comfort. A place where the great moments, the hinge points are celebrated—the baptism of our children and grandchildren, the place where vows are said—vows of salvation and vows of marriage—and finally a place where we will celebrate the passing of our loved ones into glory. A place that over time will be a museum of memories and even if no one utters a word, a prayer or a hymn, the stones will tell the stories of the great and important events of our lives. That is my dream—deep roots and trans-generational impact.