Message Notes

YAG 19th RETREAT
Session #5
Saturday, 24 May 2014
Time: 4.30pm
Theme: “I Have Set My Affection on the House of My God”

M. A MOST OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF LOVING GOD’S HOUSE

1. A correct view of God’s House

a) The work is great            1 Chronicles 29:1
b) The temple is not for man but for the LORD God            1 Chronicles 29:1

2. Setting affection on God’s House

a) This fact is obvious
b) There is a public declaration of this affection for God’s house            1 Chronicles 29:2-3

3. A glorious and unmatched affection

a) I have given to the house of my God            1 Chronicles 29:3b
b) Over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house            1 Chronicles 29:3c
c) My own special treasure of gold and silver            1 Chronicles 29:3d

N. A PUBLIC APPEAL TO SUPPORT THE TEMPLE PROJECT

1. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?            1 Chronicles 29:5

2. Happy expectation that many would respond positively and they did

a) The leaders gave            1 Chronicles 29:6
b) They gave for the work of the house of God            1 Chronicles 29:7
c) The people gave with a spirit of joy            1 Chronicles 29:9
d) They offered willingly            1 Chronicles 29:9
e) They were inspired to possess a loyal heart            1 Chronicles 29:9

O. A STRONG AND CORRECT VIEW OF GOD

1. Riches and honour come from the Lord            1 Chronicles 29:12, 14

2. Of the Lord’s own we have been able to give            1 Chronicles 29:14

3. Abundance is given            1 Chronicles 29:16

4. God tests the heart            1 Chronicles 29:17

5. Giving offerings willingly            1 Chronicles 29:17

P. APPLICATION: BETHANY IV BUILDING PLANS

1. Huge plans

a) Costly start-up
b) Costly maintenance
c) Giving must be substantial
d) Committed Giving must be sustained

2. A great heart of affection for the Lord is necessary

a) Without this love it is impossible to give sacrificially
b) Without a deep faith this love cannot be sustained

3. A great heart of affection for the Lord’s House is vital

a) There must be love for the Lord’s House too            Ephesians 2
b) There has to be deep sense of certainty of this love            Ephesians 3
c) This love will be tested and proven in life

4. Cultivation of this deep sense of love

a) Through knowledge            2 Peter 1
b) Through faith            Hebrews 11
c) Through the filling of the Spirit of God generating love            Galatians 5:22-23
d) Through a special work that God must do in our hearts            Philippians 1:6
e) Through a deeply meaningful walk with God            Colossians 2:6
f) Through a deep desire to do something very significant            1 Chronicles 29

POEMS FOR THE YAG RETREAT
CONTENTS
AFFECTION FOR THE HOUSE OF GOD

1. I Had it in My Heart

2. You Shall not Build a House for My name

3. For the House of my God

4. I Have Set My Affection on the House of My God

5. The House to be Built for the LORD

6. May the Lord be with You

7. Set your Heart and Soul to seek the LORD

8. Blessed are You!

9. Of Your own We have Given You

10. I will love You, O LORD, my strength

Poem #1
I HAD IT IN MY HEART

King David had a truly noble heart that few possessed,
He never took for granted the things with which he had been blessed.
He remembered his younger days when he lived out in the fields with his flock,
And now he was made the ruler of Israel, ruling the nation on behalf of the Lord.

He lived in a lovely home that was beautifully adorned by stately cedar wood,
Few homes were as well-designed and made, no matter how far you looked.
But David’s heart was deeply grieved that God’s house was only a Tent,
How his heart yearned to build a beautiful House of God — that was his strong intent.

David approached Nathan the prophet with a bold idea in mind,
He would like to build a great temple, of magnificent design.
Nathan was deeply impressed and encouraged David to do what he felt in his heart,
But the prophet had spoken out of turn, he had not sought God, he had not fully done his part.

David’s heart was good and noble to have such a lofty plan in mind,
He had not allowed his power and wealth to cause him to be spiritually blind.
He knew just how much he owed the Lord for all the blessings he had obtained in life,
Without God’s grace and mercy he would have long succumbed to much terrible strife.

Charles Tan
Inspiration: 1 Chronicles 28:2; 2 Samuel 7:1-2

Poem #2
YOU SHALL NOT BUILD A HOUSE FOR MY NAME

God spoke to His prophet Nathan and gave him a word to bring to David His servant,
He must make clear this message from the Lord, for this was His Divine Commandment.
“You shall not build a House for My name” — this was a clear and humbling word from God,
How would this commandment affect this dear servant of the Lord?

An explanation from the Lord was given together with this commandment,
“Because you have been a man of war and have shed blood” was the plain statement.
David may have been a warrior in his right and had earned a good reputation,
But a man of war was never untainted for some of his deeds may come under question.

David was not resentful nor disappointed for he knew that God was right,
He must seek to safeguard the Name of God with all his might.
He would not want God’s name to be sullied by any of his past misdeeds in war,
But deep down his heart still desired to see a temple built, he would do his part and more.

The privilege and honour to build God’s House would not be given to him,
But he was not grieved for he had been so blessed even though he had terribly sinned.
His heart remained steadfast and resolute in desiring to build a Temple for the Lord,
He determined to lay aside a huge treasure store to help finance the building of the House of God.

Charles Tan
Inspiration: 1 Chronicles 28:3; 2 Samuel 7

Poem #3
FOR THE HOUSE OF MY GOD

King David felt a great love for the Lord of Hosts,
God was his Rock and his strength to the uttermost.
There was no one like the Lord in all his experiences of life,
No one could be better relied on in times of deadly strife.

He knew that the blessings he received stemmed from the love of God,
He had been given one great blessing after another from a gracious Lord.
David had amassed a great amount of wealth over the years as a king,
He determined that he would not abuse the abundance of God’s blessings.

Deep down in his heart he determined that he would do what is right,
He would prepare a special treasure store with all his might.
He would set an example for others to follow as he knew he should,
He must have prayed that others would follow his example and give as they would.

Giving to the Lord was something to be planned for and prepared with all his might,
Only such an effort put in would be truly pleasing in God’s sight.
Planning to give is something few have learned and practised in any age or clime,
It is truly reflective of a heart that is good and faithful, noble and kind.

Charles Tan
Inspiration: 1 Chronicles 29:2

Poem #4
I HAVE SET MY AFFECTION ON THE HOUSE OF MY GOD

David’s affection for the house of God was truly legendary,
An unknown psalmist dedicated a poem to the king, understandably.
He remembered how David would not rest till he had brought the Ark of God home,
The precious Ark had remained far away from Jerusalem, apart and alone.

But David was not content to have merely brought home the Ark of the Lord,
He had begun to amass much silver and gold and other things for the Temple of God.
But there was a deeper work that David knew that he must seek to do,
He would make sure that his affection for God’s house would be sincere and true.

Affection for the house of the Lord must be established right from the start,
This affection must be developed with all his might and with all his heart.
Human affections are often fickle and prone to fade away in time,
This was something that David determined would not happen, by grace sublime.

How did David sustain his affection for the House of God?
He committed himself to seek in prayer, the face of the Lord.
He vowed that he would always worship the Lord with songs of praise,
This vow he kept most faithfully to the end of his days.

Charles Tan
Inspiration: 1 Chronicles 29:3; Psalm 132

Poem #5
THE HOUSE TO BE BUILT FOR THE LORD

David shared his vision for the House of God and it was truly excellent,
“The house to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent.”
Nothing less would be worthy of the great and mighty Lord God of Hosts,
He would do his part and prepare his treasure store to the uttermost!

David went on to say that the Temple must be “famous and glorious throughout all countries,”
For he had seen how Gentile nations had dedicated beautiful temples to their deities.
In his heart he wanted to build the most magnificent temple to the glory and honour of God,
He wanted to inspire the whole nation of Israel to give their very best to their great Lord!

This desire to build a magnificent temple brought great inspiration to the heart,
David did not flinch when he began to understand the magnitude of the task on his part.
If truly he believed in the Lord who had been so good to him and the nation,
Then every effort made must be attempted with the greatest aspiration.

The temple project was great and David knew that his life on earth was short,
He devoted all his energy to this great task for he determined that it should not abort.
Abundant preparation must be made before he was called home to be with God,
David dedicated himself to this last great task as the climax of all his achievements for the Lord.

Charles Tan
Inspiration: 1 Chronicles 22:5

Poem #6
MAY THE LORD BE WITH YOU

There are some tasks so great they embrace at least two generations,
The task of building the House of the Lord was one such projected vision.
King David belonged to the first generation with wisdom and experience,
Solomon belonged to the second generation that needed much guidance.

King David knew that the younger generation would need all the help he could give,
Helping to plan and finance the Temple project would bring to the heart great relief.
He addressed Solomon and reminded him of the meaning of building the House of God,
He exhorted him to seek much-needed wisdom and this is to be found in the Lord.

David wished that the Lord may be with him and all who would be involved in this enterprise,
The Lord would not fail them for He would give them courage and strength with each sunrise.
God’s greatest concern was not what it would cost to build the holy temple,
He would like to see Solomon walk worthy of his calling and be a great example.

David exhorted Solomon his son to find great courage in the building of the House of God,
He must never let fear or discouragement adversely affect his commitment to the Lord.
The old king had done the major part of raising funds in order to ensure good success,
If Solomon humbly and faithfully sought the Lord he would indeed be greatly blessed.

Charles Tan
Inspiration: 1 Chronicles 22:11

Poem #7
SET YOUR HEART AND SOUL TO SEEK THE LORD

King David understood the greatness of the Temple project he endorsed,
Even though he was not allowed to personally build the House of the Lord.
This was a piece of work that should not be seen as a personal project,
The whole nation ought to be involved as God’s chosen elect.

Thus King David charged his leaders to consider how God had given them rest,
They had enjoyed peace because the Lord had given them conquest after conquest.
How should they respond to God for all that He had done for the nation?
Surely the seeking of God with all their heart and soul should be their vision.

There was no better time than the present to arise and build the sanctuary of God,
Thus would they be able to bring to themselves honour and glory to the Lord.
The Ark of the Covenant deserved a far better resting place than a humble Tent,
Affection for God must give them a determination that would enable them not to relent.

The key to success in any major project is to seek the Lord with heart and soul,
This was something that King David personally experienced that made him whole.
If one could set the heart and mind to seek the Lord with faith and deep affection,
No matter how major the project, God would grant grace to bring it to a successful completion.

Charles Tan
Inspiration: 1 Chronicles 22:19

Poem #8
BLESSED ARE YOU, LORD GOD OF ISRAEL

King David’s knowledge of God was mature and rich as few had understood Him,
His heart was inspired to pen a Psalm that would reflect the God he loved from deep within.
He knew Him as “The LORD God of Israel” and very much more,
He related to God as “Father” at the centre of his heart, the very core!

He had discovered the greatness of the Lord, His power and His glory,
To the Lord belonged the victory and the majesty!
For everything in heaven and on earth truly belong to God alone,
His was the Kingdom and to Him due reverence must be shown!

Riches and honour belong to the Lord God of heaven above,
His sovereignty must be borne in mind as we seek to relate to Him in love.
It is in God’s hand that power and might are truly found,
Power and might are His to give as He propounds.

How well we know God will determine the way we relate to Him,
The more we know the Lord in depth, the greater the heart of thanksgiving.
Through knowledge and experience will grow an affection that is deep,
Then will the heart be able to say, “Blessed are You,” with a love that is steep.

Charles Tan
Inspiration: 1 Chronicles 29:10

Poem #9
OF YOUR OWN HAVE WE GIVEN YOU

The grace of giving is something few have mastered in faith and life,
Many find it hard to give significantly for their hearts are hardened by sin and strife,
David’s perspective and practice of giving to the Lord is truly exemplary,
It is worth our while to study how he learned to give so sacrificially.

Giving significantly to the Lord’s work stems from a right perspective of life,
David was conscious that what he and his people gave appear wonderful and very nice.
But who were they that they could even give to the Lord at all?
Without God’s grace and mercy many would have failed in life appalled.

What they were able to give to the Lord was in the first place given to them,
Every piece of silver and gold, every precious stone and every gem.
Why should the heart then be so pleased with itself that it was able to give so much,
When all our wealth has been graciously given by the Lord as such.

Our life may be compared to aliens and pilgrims on this earth,
There is much hardship and suffering and very little mirth.
Our days on earth are but a shadow and without hope if we do not know the Lord,
How our hearts must be filled with gratitude and love when we have found faith in God.

Charles Tan
Inspiration: 1 Chronicles 29:14

Poem #10
I WILL LOVE YOU, O LORD, MY STRENGTH

Affection for the Lord should be the most natural of feelings,
But the human heart, being tainted by sin, finds love difficult and confusing.
David understood this and thus he wrote, “I will love You, O LORD,”
Love was something that involved more than just feelings for God.

There may be “a natural love” for God in the heart but would that be enough?
All too often when crises appear, the love for God disappears when times are rough.
David had that feeling of sinking despair and his love for God would often falter and fail,
How he longed for a heart that would see his love for God truly prevail!

“I will love You, O LORD…” reflects the fact that David exercised his will to respond to God,
The will must be exercised over and over again, when it comes to responding to the Lord.
The Lord on His part would grant strength and protection throughout our life,
We need never fear problems, difficulties and terrible human strife!

David found in the Lord all that he would ever need in life,
He would be his Rock, his Tower of strength amidst great strife.
His part was to ensure that he would love the Lord with all his heart,
This single focus would keep him strong and nothing could tear him apart!

Charles Tan
Inspiration: Psalm 18:1