1 Chronicles 29

Influence. It’s a massive market in our culture today. Print ads, radio spots, and TV commercials have morphed into a technological, carefully crafted, and laser-focused algorithm targeted specifically at us. The influencers who seek to shape our spending habits are, for the most part, motivated by selfish gain. What we buy and do fills their bank accounts, grows their networks, and builds upon their ever-growing spheres of influence.

How did influence work in the early days of the Old Testament? There was no printing press, radio tower, television station, and certainly no internet infrastructure capable of connecting every human being across planet Earth. Personal relationships and word of mouth were really the only options for leveraging one’s influence.

Consider the example from I Chronicles 29. God had previously told David that because he was a leader of war and bloodshed, he would not be the king to build the temple. Instead, David’s son, Solomon, would be the Israelite king to lead the effort, but there was one problem:

“My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God.”

1 Chronicles 29:1

Solomon was chosen, but he didn’t have the experience necessary to complete the task. David, who was still king at the time, recognized the gap. As one of his last acts, he catalyzed the Israelites to fulfill God’s wishes of building the temple. David's address to the Israelites demonstrated a profound act of influential leadership for the benefit of his son Solomon, but more importantly for the task that God had called them to. King David used the only social network that existed during his time, a national assembly, and gathered together all of the Israelites in one place to speak to them face to face.

David started his speech by sharing what the Israelite kingdom would give to the project:

“With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God – gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble — all of these in large quantities.” 1 Chronicles 29:2

He continued, describing what he would give from his personal resources:

Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?” 1 Chronicles 29:3-5

Consecrate. It’s a word we don’t use much anymore, but it was a powerful request that David presented to his leaders and people. He first told them what the kingdom had committed, then shared what he would give personally, and finally asked them to consecrate, or make sacred, what they would give to the Lord and the temple.  

The response from the leaders was overwhelming. They gave “willingly, freely, and wholeheartedly” (v 9). It inspired the rest of the Israelites to do the same. David’s use of power, authority, and influence was not intended to lift himself up, but to honor God. Unlike contemporary influencers focused on themselves, King David’s legacy act was a demonstration of great humility as he pushed all of his chips of influence into the middle of the table and bet on the response from God’s people. And it paid off in a God-sized way!

Central Church has been through a number of seasons during its 140 year history. About two years ago when we entered a season of exploring how our church would support space for growing ministries, we prayed and asked God for discernment in what He would have us do. Church leadership explored many options and kept coming back to the fact that in order to carry out our mission, we needed to create more space for people to come and discover the love of Jesus.  

With our vision crystallized, the task, much like the Israelites building the temple, was great. We needed the skills, knowledge, expertise, and resources to fulfill what God was calling us to do.  The Mission Facility Steering Committee was formed and a host of professional advisors was assembled. Many projects like ours utilize outside counsel when it comes to raising funds. We considered that and talked with professionals who run church campaigns everyday. 

However, 1 Chronicles 29 was sprouting in our hearts. The more we read and prayed over the passage, the more convinced we became that it was the path we would follow. Instead of hiring outside counsel, we decided to simply follow God’s playbook for fundraising outlined in this chapter. 

The financial blessing and generosity of the congregation over the past decade allowed us to follow King David’s model and commit $5 million of Central’s “kingdom” cash reserves. We then asked the Elders, staff, and operating board leaders to “give freely and wholeheartedly” and an additional $4.1 million was committed to the effort. 

As we move into the larger public phase of the Mission Expansion fundraising campaign, we as the leaders of the Steering Committee are asking the Central family to consider a simple but challenging question: “Who will consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”  

Along with 1 Chronicles 29, other guiding verses have emerged during our prayer and discernment process. 2 Corinthians 9:7 is a key scripture that demonstrates the posture we have as we come before the Central family and ask for financial support of expanding our facility:

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

While his ask and influence were critical to the success of gathering the resources necessary to build God’s temple, David knew it wasn’t about him. His gracious prayer of Thanksgiving to God reads:

'“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand…Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you…And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.” 1 Chronicles 29:14-17

David understood that building the temple was not about him, his son Solomon, or the Israelite people. Rather it was about using abundant provision to honor and participate in God’s Kingdom work. King David’s influence created a cascade of participation and generosity that exceeded all human expectations. It’s a lesson in influence that we’re grateful to still be learning from today.