I'd like us this morning to take as our text words that we have already read from First Chronicles chapter 29 and at verse 13. And now we thank you our God and praise your glorious name. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. It is right for us, as the people of God, in our prayers, to record with humble and with thankful hearts the many blessings which our gracious God has so freely bestowed upon us. We take time this day to divide up our prayers so that we should focus each in turn on a different segment, an element in our thankfulness. We thank the Lord for our nation. And I would add to that which we have already heard this day, something which may not immediately spring to mind, but a moment's reflection would stir our hearts to give thanks to our gracious God for, and that is peaceful regime transition. Now boys and girls, that may seem like a long-sounding phrase, but it simply means that we are able to change the president who holds the reins of power without bloodshed and strife in our streets. And if you are at all familiar with recent events on the world stage, you will see that many nations do not enjoy that privilege. Only recently, one who held power in the land of Libya for many, many decades, was removed from power through bloody means. And even his death was portrayed across our television screens. We have the privilege of living in a land where one man will hand over voluntarily the authority which he possesses as the head of state to another without the tanks rolling down through the streets of Washington, without factions arming themselves in order to displace those who hold the power. But one man will hand over that power to another peaceably. we have much to be thankful for. This portion of God's Word, which we have read, reminds us that though we have this privilege from God's hand, it is not unique either to the United States or to the democracies of the Western world. For this final chapter in the book of Chronicles records for us the peaceful transition of power from David to his son Solomon. He hands over the authority of head of state to his son. and does so in the context of reminding the people that though he be king, it is God who rules. We bless the Lord for humble leaders, men such as David, for all his faults and failings, that he did not boast himself of his great pomp and circumstance, but to recognize that everything that he had he held in trust. He held it as one who had received it from the hand of his God. But there is a particular element to this particular day. We mark with David that though it had been his heart's desire, his great longing to build the temple, God had stayed his hand. He was not permitted to build the temple. Boys and girls, we have, as you are aware, been engaged in a study of the life of King David and seen there that the sin of David had consequences for him to the end of his days. Moses, the meekest man upon the face of the earth, was not permitted to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. And now David, though he yearned to see the temple built, was not permitted to do so. Now we did not have time to read through all the portions of Scripture which are relevant to a consideration, but I will give you in brief summary something of the gist of the previous verses in which David presents before the people, not only his desire to see the temple built, but that desire being denied him, he does what he can to provide for it. And so, he sets aside vast quantities of gold and of silver and of precious gems, of bronze and of copper. stone in abundance, wood to build the temple. Everything that he might think of in order to make the task of building the temple easier, he prepares. And so as we consider this particular prayer of David and the circumstances in which they are set before us, we see here a David who is grateful to God for all that God has provided for him. And that gratitude overflows in the heart of David. And I'd like us, as we consider these things, just to see three different ways in which David gives towards the temple of God. He says simply at verse 2, he gave for the provision of the temple, so far as I was able. So far as I was able. Boys and girls, I want you to ponder for a moment As David looks back upon his life, we are at the final chapter of the first book of Chronicles. As it were, David knows that his leading of the people is coming to a close. There is this transition of power. He is handing over authority to Solomon and so that there should be an easy transition, he makes it public, he gathers the people together, Solomon is set before them and he is handing over the power to Solomon. But it's in that context, what is it that's cheapest in the mind of David as he hands over power? There are many things which President Obama might have in his mind as he hands over the authority of the presidency to his successor, whether it is next year or five years from now. But in the mind of David, it was the things of the Lord It was uppermost in his mind. Solomon, hear, I have made provision as I was able. I've made provision as I was able. But David then goes on to say at verse 3, in addition, I have treasure of my own and I give that to the house of my God. It is not as though David simply says, here, I am going to make provision out of the taxes of God's people. Well, when we get into any election period, you'll find that the politician will make all sorts of wonderful promises how the taxes are going to be spent. But let's bear in mind that as they're making these wonderful promises, they're telling you how they're going to spend your money as a taxpayer. But what is it that David is saying here? He's saying, I have my own wealth and what I have I give to the Lord. That's my desire. He has a focus upon the temple of the Lord. He said, I want to see that temple built. Not only as he as it were, garnered the wealth of the nation to make provision his own worth. He says, in addition, I have my own treasure and I give that to the house of my God. And then the people respond in verse 9, with a whole heart they had offered freely to God. With a whole heart. You see how the leadership that David had given in the nation was infectious to the people. They saw in their king a man after God's own heart. He led the people and brought them to a place where the temple was about to be built. God had denied him that privilege and he yielded himself to God's plan. It was not for David to build the temple, and yet he had made every provision that he possibly could. And he said to the people, and now I give everything that I have for the building of the temple. And the people said, we want to do the same. Now, boys and girls, I want you to think about the temple just for a moment, because it is significant. What David was intent upon, what he desired to see, was not merely the raising up of some wonderful edifice which would be the glory of nations. There are many fine structures and we can visit many of them to this day. Buildings which are inspiring, take the breath away. Many of the ancient capitals of the world sport exceedingly grand palaces. But David's desire was not to raise up a mighty edifice so that the nations of the world should admire the architecture of central downtown Jerusalem. No one can read this particular psalm and draw the conclusion that David's heart was taken up in anything other than a heartfelt desire to glorify God. And so when we're talking about the temple, we're not merely to consider that David's heart was taken up in some grand municipal building scheme that he wanted the glory of the grace of God to be proclaimed in the nations. That the wondrous God is worshipped and adored here in Jerusalem. The true and living God shows Himself gracious in such majestic proportions that it takes the breath away of the nations. Oh, that men would come and worship in the temple And every sacrifice that is offered up, pointing those who might come and assemble to the great sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are but a foreshadowing of the great and sovereign plan of salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything in the temple pointing towards the Lord Jesus Christ. And David's desire, I want to see that temple I want the nations to know that you are God. I want the nations to assemble and fall in the dust of the earth, as I do so willingly, to worship the only true and living God, the God who saves. That's what burned deeply in the heart of David. I want the temple to declare to the God who we worship He's a God of great grace who is sovereign over the affairs of men. His worship should be reverent and awe-inspiring. It should draw the attention of the people in wonder before the throne of greats. Now, boys and girls, Do you see why it was so important that David says, I provided everything in here of my personal wealth, of the silver and gold that I have, I give it freely for the house of God. And the people, as they hear David praying and leading them and explaining to them the nature of true heartfelt worship, Their hearts are caught up and say, we want to give too. We give with our whole heart. Such is the nature of David's giving. That giving to the Lord arises out of the clarity of David's understanding. The clarity of David's understanding. Now, I want to read you those opening verses of this wonderful prayer of David. Imagine if you would put yourself in your imagination, in the crowd of God's people. It's a scene of great significance in the history of the children of Israel. David Great David, his whole handing over power to his son. He has assembled the people. And as the anointed king, he stands before the people and he leads them in prayer. Hear his words and hear the great clarity with which he addresses God. What is it that he thinks about God? Boys and girls, perhaps this may be an encouragement to us. It may be instructive to us. It may even be a rebuke to us in our prayers, for so often in our prayers we speak only of those things which we desire to receive from God's hand. And we neglect to bring God the praise which is His due. So, boys and girls, pay attention. attentively to how David addresses God. And in your mind, count out the different elements which he uses to describe God in this great doxology, this Prayer, praise to God. Hear these words and open your ears to hear. Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel, our Father forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name." Do you see, boys and girls, the great clarity with which he addresses God? This is no trite and dashed-off prayer. There is a consciousness that when he enters into the presence of God, he addresses Him as his Sovereign. All the things which customarily men are wont to ascribe to kings and princes, David ascribes to God. Yours is the power. The victories are yours. every victory which David had accomplished, he said, this belongs to my God. All the honors and all the power belongs to you. Boys and girls, you see the great clarity that David has when he addresses God. It is because he has such clarity in his understanding of God that he has such clarity in understanding himself. And, who am I? he says. Who am I? What is man that thou art mindful of him? The son of man that thou shouldst care for him. It is as we lift God up high in our prayers and would say to the nations, Come, magnify with me the Lord our God. Make Him big in our understanding. As we lift up God, we necessarily press ourselves down. It's the man who thinks highly of himself that thinks little of God. It's the man who thinks highly of God who thinks little of himself. What am I? He says. Who am I? Well, Sycophantic courtiers would say, but you are the king. No, says David. I deserve not any of the blessings of God. The clarity of David extends to his people. He says, who am I? And what is this people? Did the children of Israel deserve to be the recipients of such great favor? No, says David, as he humbles himself before God. God deserves all the praise and all the glory. It is purely of grace. Why did you choose me, says David? I don't know. It's not for anything within me. It's because of your grace. What are these people, he says, as he looks out and gazes upon the faces of God's people, who are these people that you should have favor upon them? He says, it is not for anything to be found in the children of Israel. And as any preacher would look upon his congregation, it is not for what is in this people. It is all of grace, says David. No wonder he is inspired by the Spirit of God to say, and now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. For all that we have done, even as David draws attention to the wondrous weight of gold and silver and precious gems He does not say to God, look what we have done for you of entering into the presence of God. We are only giving to you what you have given to us. Do you see how the heart of David is taken up with the things of God? Do we come this morning to proclaim, this is what we do for you even as we collect up our tithes and offerings, that God should be pleased at this sacrifice which we are offering up. What is it that we give to God except that which He has given to us? That's the heart of David. Now thank we all our God with hardened hands and voices. But very briefly, as we would conclude our contemplation on this passage of God's Word, Boys and girls, I have already drawn your attention to the fact that the building of the temple was not the end in and of itself. It was not some wondrous building project that David's heart desired to see, but the worship of the living God. He was pointing towards the Lord Jesus Christ. And so as we read the Old Testament Scriptures, we come not merely that we might, as it were, engage in an understanding. Well, this was a wondrous day in the life of the children of Israel. A smooth transition of power. We thank the Lord that there was a smooth transition of power from David to his son Solomon. There was not bloodshed on the streets of Jerusalem. We can be thankful for that this day, but it seems so remote from us, so far removed both in time and in place, that it probably is not the first thing that you thought of this morning as you rose. But as we read through the Old Testament, we're not merely meant to gain an understanding of an event that happened long, long ago, but we would come with the same heart as David, with a longing, Lord, I desire in Your Word, in the Old Testament Scripture, I want to see Christ displayed to me. How might I read these words and be taken in my affection and in my mind and transported from this world into the very presence of my God to praise You? For I have come to assemble, perhaps on this day significantly more than on another day in thanksgiving, For what you have given me in Christ, show me Christ in these words." And as we ponder David, we look towards great David's greater son. The temple is gone. that had been amassed has now been dissipated to the nations of the earth and is no longer available for us to gaze upon. But the temple itself was not the point, only so far as it pointed towards the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus himself, gazing upon the temple, says, this temple will be destroyed. But then referring to himself, but this temple will be raised in three days. The Old Testament temple points us towards the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we assemble, we give thanks above everything for the Lord Jesus Christ. But boys and girls, I would draw to your attention that David himself at this point displays to us something of the Lord Jesus Christ. We gaze at David and see in David that he says, I gave so far as I am able. We listen to the words of Jesus, and as he draws near to his own destruction at the hands of sinful men in the agonies of Calvary, he declares to his own disciples. Recorded for us in the opening verse of John chapter 13, having loved his own in the world, he loved them to the end. He loved them, we might say, as far as he was able As far as he was able, in the strength of his physical body, he had adopted a physical body, if you like. And in that physical body, he had loved them and nurtured his disciples. He had labored with them and for them. He surely would disrobe himself and watch their feet. To the last breath of his body, he loved his own in the world. It is for us as it were. We look back in David and we see David. What does David say? I gave as I was able and the Son of God gives no less. He says, I give as far as I am able. And just when we say, well, what more might we expect? What more can a man do than to give as far as he is able? But boys and girls, you have heard me say before, and I will yet say it again, that God is always better than you can imagine. And so David sets before us this picture that David having assembled all the wealth and made such great provision and said, I have provided as I am able. Then he goes on to say, and in addition, I will give everything that I have for the building of the temple. I will give everything. He who though rich became poor, that we might be rich in Him. Is that not the Savior whom we worship and adore? He gives. He has, as it were, provided everything. And then He says, and in addition, I give everything for my people. Wholeheartedly. So that He gazes upon the travail of his soul and says that he is satisfied. He sees all the agony of the cross in anticipation revealed to us there by the prophet Isaiah. He gazes upon all the sorrow, all the heartache, and all the pain and the suffering. even the separation from his Father in heaven, he gazes upon all his suffering and says, I am satisfied. I give it willingly, with eagerness, with great desire for my people. Brethren, there is much for which we should be thankful this day. We have homes that are comfortable, warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We have enough and to spare upon our tables. Our closets are filled with clothes. We have family and friends with whom we rejoice, that of all these things should in an instant be removed from us, we still have that which does so far excel everything that this world has. For we have Christ. And when we have Him, we have everything. It is not merely for David to say, but for us also. And now, we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. Let's pray together.