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Exodus 35:4-5 ESV

Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;

Exodus 35:10 ESV

“Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded:

Exodus 35:20-29 ESV

Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

I. THE BUILDING MATTERS
A. Biblical precedent is to give to the church for the upkeep and updating of the church.
B. Giving to improve the building is in fact noble.
C. In our consumer culture, people make judgments about our church by looking at our building.
D. If building either draws others or keeps them away, the building matters to the Gospel.
E. The building sends a message about the worth of God. (1 Samuel 7:1-17)

II. THE GOSPEL, THE CHURCH, & THE WORLD
A. The church is the means by which God will reach the world.
B. The church reaches the world by funding worldwide missions. (Romans 10:15)
C. Each of us is a link in a chain God uses to save others.

III. MORE TOGETHER THAN WE COULD ALONE
A. Our money does more pooled together than it does alone.

NEXT STEPS:
1. Give in faith rather than to see results.
2. Give because your heart is stirred not because your arm is twisted.
3. Give in monthly installments if possible instead of in down payments.