As David read this passage of Scripture tonight from 1 Chronicles 29, you might have been thinking, well, David's not a prophet. Traditionally speaking, he's not a prophet. David was a king. But David also prophesied. A prophet is one who heralded and said, thus saith the Lord. And we know that many of his Psalms and many of the things that David wrote under the power of the Holy Ghost were messianic and spoke of Christ to come. God gave him a clear vision of the Son of God. Tonight's no different in what we read at the end of David's life as he's about to pass off of this earth and he's about to give the, or pass down the throne to Solomon, who's the next in line, his son. As we come into this season, as tomorrow many in this world, or at least in this country, will celebrate Thanksgiving, I always tell Stephanie the same thing, we come into this time of year, it's a two-edged sword for me. I love the fact that there's a time set apart to stop and to give thanks. But I'm also convicted because there's a time set apart to give thanks, because we're always to give thanks. I am challenged in my life to think of one moment of my day or my life that I should not be thankful for. I should always be giving thanks. Paul in Ephesians 5.20 said, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. He also said in Hebrews 13.15, by him, therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. You're gonna see tonight that this passage ends with the people coming together to give thanks unto God by giving sacrifices and burning sacrifices. We don't live in that age. The Lord has put in the perfect sacrifice, has provided all that the Father would ever need. So what is it now that we give thanks with? Our voices, the praise of our lips, to thank the Lord for all that he's done. So in my mind, over these last few days, I've broken it up. Thanks, giving. Thanks, Lord, for giving. You gave of your son. You gave of your son to unworthy people. to those who were dead in sins, who were your enemies, who are your enemies by nature. You gave them salvation through your Son. Tonight, I hope you join me as we move into this days that we have to give thanks that the Lord prepares your heart to give thanks, to praise Him for great things He has done. Let's look at our text tonight in 1 Chronicles 29. We come to verse 9, and it says, Then the people rejoiced, for they offered willingly. What did they offer? It was put upon David's heart to build a temple unto God, but God said to David he would not be the one who did it. It would be Solomon. David's hands were bloody. He was a warring king. And so David readied the people and and got everybody to start giving and that's what you read further up the they gave the gold and the silver and all these things and they gave willingly look at that in verse 9 the people rejoiced the people had great joy because they offered willingly and dear ones when everything is well in our soul When things are well in our soul, then and only then can we praise and thank Him properly. There is no murmuring. There is no complaining. Because you're going to hear what David says later, what they gave was His already. Do you look at everything you have that way? Do you look at the child you hold in your lap? You gentlemen and all of those in here who work, ladies and gentlemen, who go to jobs, do you realize that everything you have is from Him? Do you realize the clothes that you wear tonight is because He provided? The food that you eat, the money that you have, the mate that you have, everything is from Him. This heart here that we're talking about, see how the base of the heart is? It's joy. They rejoiced greatly because they offered willingly. The will was bent toward the Lord to have such joy in giving to Him what He has given to us because it's all of Him. There's no begrudging giving here. He says, because with a perfect heart, they offered willingly to the Lord. That's that new nature that the Lord says, I will give them a new heart. That's that heart that praises the Lord and praises him willingly for everything that we have. And David the king also rejoiced with great joy. Then he said, it was time for David to come and address the people as the king. And it said, David blessed the Lord before all the congregation. And he said, blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, our father, forever and ever. Oh, may the people of God always bless him. The Lord said he will always have a remnant and that remnant will always bless him. will always praise Him because He's the author of that praise. As He's the author of our faith, He's the author of our praise. Who else could take us from our grumbling and our murmuring and complaining? Who else could lift our faces off of our problems and our trials and our tribulations and lift them up to Him? Who else could do that? We can't do that in the best of times. We need Him. David said, blessed be the Lord God forever and ever, because he is the eternal Lord. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness. Lord, you are the great one. You are the one that holds all greatness. We have those athletes among us today or of days past that are labeled the greatest of all time. We do that in every category. Oh, this was the greatest preacher of all time. This was the greatest president of all time. This was the greatest king of all time. And those are lies. Because the Lord is that person. He is the great one. That's what it says. The Lord thine is the greatness. You have all greatness. You have all power. You are the omnipotent one. You hold the scepter in your hands. You hold me in the palm of your hands. You hold all men in the palm of your hands. And the glory is always yours, always. When we're patting ourselves on the back, we are robbing him of his glory. When we are boasting of ourselves, we are robbing him of his glory. What do we have that hasn't been given to us, freely given to us? And then he says this word, victory. Thine is the victory. Lord in you is victory. What do we have victory from? Well, when I think of victory, I think of two things. And I wonder if your two things you're thinking of now are the same two that I have. If they are, you'll recognize the scriptures we're going to. Go with me to John 3. John 3. We'll start in verse 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever eternal life. For God so loved the world. Didn't just love them, he so loved them with the capability that only God has in a perfect love to love his people with. He so loved them that He gave His only begotten Son. This is where I believe victory is. It's in the Son. He gave His Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That's where our victory is. That's where it begins. It begins at Calvary. It begins as our Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. who gave His life for His people. That's where our life is. It's with Him. We're dead with Him, we're raised with Him, and we're ascended with Him. And that takes right into the second text I'd go to, and that's over here in 1 Corinthians 15, because that too is where our victory is. Let's pick up there in 1 Corinthians 15 in verse 20. But now, And I can say the same thing to you tonight. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and He's become the firstfruits of them that slept. Because He's risen, we will be risen, body and soul. And if we've already been risen by the new birth, spiritually, we have a spiritual life, because we've been quickened who were dead. but He also has guaranteed us this body that's riddled with sin will be changed. This vile body will be changed and it will be formed and fashioned unto a glorious body just like His. Let's read on. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. That's victory. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Go down to 51. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, When the Lord says time will be no more, when He heralds the day that He comes, and He said, and the trumpet sounds, for that trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For when this corruptible, I'm sorry, for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then, this is victory, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written." What is the victory over? Death. DEATH IS GOING TO SEIZE THE BODY THAT YOU'RE IN RIGHT NOW, BUT HE WON'T HAVE THE VICTORY. DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY, AND THAT VICTORY FOR THE CHILD OF GOD IS WHEN HIS BODY WILL BE RAISED ANEW FOR THE BODY. O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING? O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN, AND THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW, WHICH GIVETH US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." THAT'S WHAT IT SAID, OUR VICTORY. WE COME BACK TO WHAT DAVID SAID HERE IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE. HE SAID, THINE, O LORD, IS THE GREATNESS, THE POWER, THE GLORY, AND THE VICTORY. THAT'S OUR VICTORY. OUR VICTORY IS IN OUR HEAD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. We are made kings and priests because our king of kings. The majesty is all his. He is our ruling king. Think about that who's saying this. You and I, we work, we have people over us in our jobs. This one saying this didn't have anybody over him. He was the most powerful ruler in the nation. And he says to you, Lord, is all majesty as he's the king and he's defeated all these countries around him. And now his kingdom is the most powerful kingdom. Your Lord, your majesty is above all majesty. You have all majesty and power for all that is in heaven and in the earth is thine. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all, and in Thy hand is power and might. As You and I tomorrow go to give thanks in our minds and in our hearts, is this what You're thanking Him for? THAT HE HAS ALL POWER? THAT HE HAS ALL MAJESTY? THAT HE REIGNS OVER ALL THINGS? WE'RE GONNA GATHER WITH FAMILY MEMBERS, MOST LIKELY TOMORROW, OR PEOPLE THAT WE SEE, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR COMPLAINTS. THAT'S WHAT WE DO WHEN WE GET AROUND EACH OTHER. WE COMPLAIN ABOUT POLITICS. WE COMPLAIN ABOUT FINANCES. WE COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW MUCH THE TURKEY COSTS. WE COMPLAIN ABOUT EVERYTHING. O Lord, You are to be praised, for without You I'd have nothing. In Thy hand is power and might, and in Thy hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee. We thank Thee, O Lord. Listen to these texts that I wrote down. Colossians 3, 17, Paul says, and whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. David said this in Psalm 26, 7. He said that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works. Think about that, that we would have the voice of thanksgiving, not only the heart and the mind, but the voice to praise Him and to thank Him and not to be worried about what man thinks about who we're giving thanks to. Paul in Philippians 4, 6 says, be careful or anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, Thanks, O Lord, for giving, for giving your Son and everything that's in Him. And that's everything, dear ones. Let your requests be known. And with thanksgiving, let your requests be known unto God. Colossians 4, 2 says, continue in prayer and watch in the same in all of your prayer with thanksgiving. with thanksgiving. You know, the Lord taught us to pray that way, didn't he, in the model prayer? Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed, how holy and great is thy name. Giving thanks unto him. How many times is our prayers and our utterances rushed with our need, the need of the minute. Oh, Lord, deliver me. Oh, Lord, have mercy on me. Why are we coming to him? Because he is merciful. Because he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Because he's given us life to come to him. He's worthy to be praised. That's what David said. He said, Now therefore, our God, we thank thee we praise thy glorious thy glorious your name lord may your name receive glory it's what david said in psalm 115 not unto us lord not unto us but unto thy name be all glory and honor and then he asked this question in 14 and it stopped me in my tracks today who am But who am I, Lord? The Lord allowed me in a brief moment today to enter into the moment He was on the cross. The Lord allowed me to see Him bleeding and dying with my sin upon Him. He allowed me to see my substitute and to ask this question, who am I, Lord? Who am I that you would die for me? I'm a sinner. I'm an ungodly sinner. And Lord, I know in my mind, you've convinced me that you died for me and I still sin. and I still don't believe you. Who am I? Who am I, Lord, that you would die for somebody like me who would think upon it and then run right out to sin and unbelief and anger and murmuring and complaining? Who am I? And the one who said this is the king. one after God's own heart, but was humbled so much to say, Lord, who am I? Who am I that you're mindful of me, Lord? Sometimes I think that entitlement just comes up in us and we, you know, we get with other people and we start talking and start proving our case for ourselves. We don't have one. May the Lord show you that tonight. You don't have anything to plead to Him, but for His mercy and grace. Who am I, Lord? But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? Lord, why of all these nations that you rose me up, now think about it. with the sword. David took his sword, and he went to the Philistines, and he slayed every one of them, and God gave him favor to win. And he went to the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and all the Ites, and he put them down. Who am I, Lord? Why did you choose these people? I look around this room tonight, we don't have a lot in here, but I still say, Lord, who are we? Who are we that you called us away from all the things that we can be doing tonight to prepare for this day tomorrow? Who are we, Lord, that you put it on our heart to come here to worship you? We're just sinners. Do we deserve what you've done for us? No, no, who am I? May the Lord put that on your heart tonight. Lord, but who am I? Who are these people? We all in here, just by me talking to you, I know that you're with me, that we all have different religious backgrounds. Who are we that the Lord didn't leave us there to perish with others who are left there to perish? Who are we to deserve that? We're no better than any of those that are still left in the dark and don't know who Christ is. If he has delivered us, who are we that he's mindful of us? Well, we're the sheep of his pasture. And the Lord says, I'll tell you who you are. You're my peculiar people. You're my sheep. You're my children. You're my flock. You're the wheat. You're the salt of the earth. And we say, Lord, why? Why me? Who maketh me to differ? Only by thy grace, Lord. David says, he says, for all things, look at this. Who am I? What is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, Lord, and of thine own have we given thee. I told you that a few weeks ago. One of the things we don't, the children, these little young children, the first words, one of the first words they'll learn, it's mine. Mine, give me. That's mine. We become possessive of the things that we have. And we don't have a thing, but what he's given us. It's what David's saying. Lord, we're giving right back to you what you've given to us. And isn't that what love is? We love him because he first loved us. Isn't that what faith is? We believe Him because He gave us that faith? We live by the faith of the Son of God? Aren't we at peace with Him because of His reconciliation with us? It's all Him. David tells them, we're strangers. We're strangers before thee, Lord. We're estranged from you. We went out looking in a whoring after idols. We wander, Lord, we're prone to wander and wander and wander. Who are we? The objects of grace, the objects of mercy. We are strangers before Thee, Lord, and we're sojourners. Have you learned that, that this isn't our home? See, that's why we can offer so willingly to Him, because we're not attached. But if you're attached, you can't offer willingly. You can't. Whatever you're attached to, you believe is yours. David said, you know, we're strangers before thee and sojourners as if we're our fathers. Our days on the earth are as a shadow. We just have that blimp, Lord. We're just here on this earth that you created for X amount of time. Who are we that you would shine your grace and shed your grace upon us? And there's none abiding because all of us have the same end. It's appointed unto all men to die. Who are we, Lord? Lord our God all this store that we've prepared to build thee a house for thy holy name It comes of thee We came here tonight. I hope to worship and You know what? You wouldn't have came if the Lord didn't impress upon you to worship him You wouldn't We're all busy people But the Lord said God, I'm a spirit, and they that worship me will worship me in spirit and in truth. And he drew us here to worship. All this store that we've prepared to build thee a house in thy holy name cometh of thine hand and is all thine own. I know also, my God, that thou tryest the heart and has pleasure in uprightness. As for me, wouldn't you love to be rid of presumption to say this? Wouldn't you love to have a clear conscience before God and to say this right here, as for me, In the uprightness of my heart, I have willingly offered all these things, and now have seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee." Wouldn't you love to not doubt? Well, that's what faith does. Faith says, yes, Lord, you are mine. My beloved is mine, and I am his. And he's altogether lovely. David said in Psalm 139, 23, he said, search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. Oh boy, that's what faith says. Lord, search me. I think about that when Peter was asked that three times. Lovest thou me? Peter could say, Lord, you know I love thee. And he'd already denied him. That's faith. That's something we're not capable of without Him. Lord, I do love you. You ask me, do I love the Lord? Yes. But there are times if you get me on the right day and you ask me that question, I might hesitate to answer you just because of how wicked I feel. But I do love Him and I believe you're convinced you love Him. And that's all because he loved you first. Oh Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Our fathers keep this forever. Look at that. Is there presumption in this? No. He's begging. He's asking the Lord, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, because we're not willing people. We're not loving people. We're not believing people. Lord, keep us. Preserve us. Keep our minds stayed upon thee, and we'll have peace. Turn us, Lord, and we'll be turned. Fill our hearts and minds with love and joy, and we will have love and joy. Peter said in 1 Peter 1 5, we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. That's what he's crying out for. Lord, preserve us. Preserve our minds and our hearts. And if the Lord gives you a thankful heart tomorrow as you're blessing the food, as you're asking the Lord to bless the food, when that says amen, may the Lord give you a heart to continue to bless Him all throughout the day, because He is worthy. And I'm speaking that to myself. Oh Lord, preserve my imagination of my thoughts, preserve my heart, prepare my heart unto Thee, Keep it, Lord. Keep my mind and my heart stayed unto Thee. And when that takes place, then and only then can you pray for those that you love. Isn't that what happens in 19? And give unto Solomon, my son, a perfect heart. Oh Lord, keep him upright. I'm about to pass off this earth. He's about to be king over these people. Lord, keep him. You know, we all know a lot about each other because we're sharing people. Do you pray for your brothers and sisters this way? Keep them as they go to their job. Keep them as they're home raising children. Keep them as they go off in this world, wherever they are. Keep them, Lord. give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart to keep thy commandments and testimonies and statutes and to do all these things and to build the palace for the which I have made provision." That was, Lord already told him that your son's gonna do that, not you. And David said to all the congregation, and the same thing I say to you and leave you with tonight, now bless the Lord. bless the Lord with your voices that's why I asked David tonight that we're going to close with a hymn we usually don't on Wednesday night we are tonight I want to sing unto the Lord whatever it is we're singing praise the Lord now bless the Lord your God and all the congregation blessed the Lord God of the fathers and bow down and bow down their heads and worship the Lord and the King Worship Him. Bow to Him. That is where life is, dear ones. Life is in the sun. Victory is in the sun. Glory is in the sun. And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the Lord and they offered burnt offerings and all that. And what do we do? We sing unto the Lord. I want to end tonight with one thing. I want to read it to you. And that is Psalm 100, before we sing unto the Lord. Listen to these words of David's. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord, He is God. Bow to His sovereignty, bow to His goodness. Praise Him for His goodness. Sing unto the sovereign Lord and King. He is God and it is He that has made us and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving. and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations. And we are living proof of that. He has preserved his truth to a remnant of people. And we praise his name because he has done so. And he has done all things well. Dear Heavenly Father, as we lift up our voices now in praise, may you fill us with joy and thanksgiving, and may you preserve that thought in our mind and our heart throughout this season and throughout all our days, Lord, for you are worthy of praise at all times. And Lord, I pray and I thank thee tonight. I thank thee, Lord, for giving, for giving your son. And I thank thee, Lord, for who you are. And I thank you, Lord, for the faith to believe it. Bless these people. Bless this night with thyself. For this I ask in Jesus' name, amen. Brother David, if he'd come forward