A Word in Seaosn: A Thank Offering (2 Chronicles 29:31)

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I hope that you are a faithful, regular and generous giver to the work of the

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Lord God. Typically, for most of us as members of local churches, our first priority and our first investment will be in the work of God that we have in our hands, and we will give regularly, faithfully, generously, as the

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Lord prospers us to the church to which we belong, so that we might support the ministry, we might carry out works of service, we might be able to invest in the progress of the kingdom in various ways and care for those who become a part of it.

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But even though our giving can be generous and faithful and regular, there are other opportunities that we can and should take to show our gratitude to God.

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Have you ever given a thank offering? Perhaps that strikes you as slightly strange.

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It might sound like a very Old Testament thing to do. And yes, it's there, for example, in the book of Leviticus.

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And yet these thank offerings are perhaps an overlooked expression of our gratitude to and affection for the

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God of heaven in his rich mercies towards us. They're mentioned, for example, after Hezekiah's reformation in 2

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Chronicles and chapter 29, where Hezekiah tells the people, now that you have consecrated yourselves to the

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Lord, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the

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Lord. There's a recognition on the one hand of their need for these sacrifices still, because God is still holy and they are still sinful.

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And so there's a need for the blood of the sacrifice to take away their transgressions until Christ comes as the

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Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But there are also these thank offerings in the house of the

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Lord. These are expressions of deep delight in the

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God of salvation. We're told toward the end of that chapter that the people were rejoicing because God had prepared the people since the events took place so suddenly.

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God has shown favour to them. God has restored his word and his worship to them.

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God has given them a king who has established these things. God has not dealt with them as their sins deserved, but rather has restored them and blessed them.

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And the principle then of something that comes, if you will, more spontaneously from us because of some particular kindness of God that we have received, is perhaps something that we should more often consider.

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Let me ask it this way. When was the last time that you gave a thank offering?

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Perhaps there was some particular deliverance that the Lord provided for you. Perhaps there was some restoration of health that you had not anticipated.

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Perhaps there was some particular goodness that God gave you. Perhaps it was the gift of a husband or a wife or the safe delivery of a child.

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Perhaps there was some opportunity at work that the Lord provided. There was a promotion or a bonus that you perhaps hadn't looked for and have received.

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You might have had a successful period in your work and the income has increased and the profit margin has been advanced.

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It may be that the Lord has favoured the congregation. It may be that you have known particular mercies and blessings from God in your spiritual walk.

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It may be that God has helped you to overcome some particular challenge or even to trample upon some particular sin.

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But even as we begin to begin to talk about some of the ways in which God either withholds the judgments that we might deserve or brings down blessings that we don't deserve, then it is marvellous how easily we assume that this is just the way that things should be.

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I mean think about it. If you're a Christian, you have already received the most marvellous gift that could possibly be imagined, the salvation of your undying soul.

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And I simply want to put to you this morning the possibility that as you review what has happened in past weeks or months or years, as you think about the goodnesses and the blessings that the

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Lord has bestowed upon you, as you think about the wrath and the judgments that have been kept back and the mercies and the blessings that have been poured out, is it not right that we should bring thank offerings to the

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Lord our God? Perhaps this is the time, either in terms of finance or some other particular act of service or investment, that we should think about properly expressing our gratitude to the