1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:08,100 Now today we’re looking at the story of a godly man with a good heart and a great idea. 2 00:00:08,100 –> 00:00:13,680 David had it in his heart to do something for God but the good thing that he wanted 3 00:00:13,680 –> 00:00:20,000 to do for God was not given to him but rather was given to someone else. 4 00:00:20,000 –> 00:00:24,420 Now I hope you will see straight away that this is a story that will speak to everyone 5 00:00:25,420 –> 00:00:26,420 of us today. 6 00:00:26,420 –> 00:00:32,680 Here is something that all of us in some way and in some places in our lives will experience. 7 00:00:32,680 –> 00:00:41,720 What do you do when God closes the door on something good that you wanted to do for Him? 8 00:00:41,720 –> 00:00:47,380 Especially when you find that he then opens the door for someone else to do precisely 9 00:00:47,380 –> 00:00:49,279 the same thing. 10 00:00:49,279 –> 00:00:53,919 I mean you have a good idea and people encourage you to pursue it. 11 00:00:53,919 –> 00:01:00,560 Oh yes, you should do that and you’re sure that what you want to do will be a good thing 12 00:01:00,560 –> 00:01:05,379 and that it will glorify God, but for some reason what you set your heart on just doesn’t 13 00:01:05,379 –> 00:01:07,980 work out. 14 00:01:07,980 –> 00:01:13,599 If that is not hard enough you then see somewhere down the track that someone else is having 15 00:01:13,599 –> 00:01:19,559 success with precisely the idea that did not work out for you. 16 00:01:19,559 –> 00:01:21,580 That’s not easy. 17 00:01:21,639 –> 00:01:24,019 You train for a particular career. 18 00:01:24,019 –> 00:01:29,599 You invest a great deal in study, time, and money, and when you’ve invested in all of 19 00:01:29,599 –> 00:01:36,800 this training somehow for reasons you cannot begin to explain the door just doesn’t open 20 00:01:36,800 –> 00:01:41,199 for you for what you saw yourself doing. 21 00:01:41,199 –> 00:01:47,660 What is even stranger is that that door does open for other people, but for you in an inexplicable 22 00:01:47,680 –> 00:01:54,360 way somehow what you saw yourself doing, the door to that has simply closed. 23 00:01:54,360 –> 00:02:01,099 Or perhaps as your life moves on you look back and perhaps wistfully at what might have 24 00:02:01,099 –> 00:02:02,099 been. 25 00:02:02,099 –> 00:02:09,839 You had certain thoughts about your life course would pan out, and you wonder why was it that 26 00:02:09,839 –> 00:02:16,580 God closed the door on something good that was in my heart and it never actually came 27 00:02:16,580 –> 00:02:19,759 to happen in my life. 28 00:02:19,759 –> 00:02:25,440 You wanted to marry, you wanted to have children, you wanted to reach a certain place in your 29 00:02:25,440 –> 00:02:31,639 career, perhaps you wanted to be on a certain team involved in a certain project, to have 30 00:02:31,639 –> 00:02:37,559 a certain trust or a certain position to be successful in some area of ministry. 31 00:02:37,559 –> 00:02:43,460 And that has happened for others, but for some reason that you can’t really fathom 32 00:02:43,460 –> 00:02:46,500 it has not happened for you. 33 00:02:46,500 –> 00:02:55,179 Well, we’re looking today then at one of the toughest challenges that a Christian can face 34 00:02:55,179 –> 00:03:03,600 when God closes the door on something good that you wanted to do for Him. 35 00:03:03,600 –> 00:03:08,699 Now I hope again you have your Bible open at 2 Samuel chapter 7. 36 00:03:08,699 –> 00:03:11,380 You will see the setting of this story in verse 1. 37 00:03:11,380 –> 00:03:20,259 It was when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding 38 00:03:20,259 –> 00:03:21,259 enemies. 39 00:03:21,259 –> 00:03:26,300 So notice there are 3 wonderful blessings that are conveyed in that very first verse. 40 00:03:26,300 –> 00:03:32,259 David is looking at his life and he’s just overwhelmed by the blessings of God. 41 00:03:32,259 –> 00:03:34,899 God has done so many good things for him. 42 00:03:35,139 –> 00:03:42,899 First, he was a shepherd, the youngest of many brothers and despised by his siblings. 43 00:03:42,899 –> 00:03:48,639 And God has taken this young brother who was a shepherd and made him the king. 44 00:03:48,639 –> 00:03:50,759 And then he refers to his house. 45 00:03:50,759 –> 00:03:56,320 He’s in this marvelous house and if you look back at chapter 5 and verse 11 you will 46 00:03:56,320 –> 00:04:04,759 see that David’s house of Cedar was actually built for him as a gift by a man by the name 47 00:04:04,880 –> 00:04:07,740 of Hyrum who was the king of Tyre. 48 00:04:07,740 –> 00:04:14,479 Hyrum no doubt wanting to endear himself to David had actually sent Cedar wood from his 49 00:04:14,479 –> 00:04:17,779 country along with carpenters and masons. 50 00:04:17,779 –> 00:04:18,859 Can you imagine this? 51 00:04:18,859 –> 00:04:22,040 I want to build you a house and it’s going to be a gift. 52 00:04:22,040 –> 00:04:23,059 No cost to you. 53 00:04:23,059 –> 00:04:24,899 And David said this is an amazing blessing. 54 00:04:24,899 –> 00:04:30,500 I live in this marvelous house and it was given to me as a gift. 55 00:04:30,500 –> 00:04:33,660 And then he’s given rest from his enemies. 56 00:04:34,140 –> 00:04:35,940 it’s another great gift from God. 57 00:04:35,940 –> 00:04:37,920 I want you to notice this because it’s important. 58 00:04:37,920 –> 00:04:41,140 It is not that the enemies were gone. 59 00:04:41,140 –> 00:04:45,500 They are still described here in this verse as surrounding. 60 00:04:45,500 –> 00:04:48,420 But it seems that there was a break in the clouds as it were. 61 00:04:48,420 –> 00:04:53,320 And after many battles that David had been engaged in in the earlier chapters before 62 00:04:53,320 –> 00:04:56,140 chapter 7, there was a sort of pause. 63 00:04:56,140 –> 00:04:57,480 There was a period of rest. 64 00:04:57,480 –> 00:05:00,040 There was some respite. 65 00:05:00,040 –> 00:05:06,320 If you look at chapter 8 and 10 of 2 Samuel you’ll see that there were many more fights 66 00:05:06,320 –> 00:05:11,859 that David had to engage and that’s significant for the story as we will see. 67 00:05:11,859 –> 00:05:14,339 But at this point, there was a little break in the clouds. 68 00:05:14,339 –> 00:05:20,880 There was a respite for a while there was at least a temporary peace. 69 00:05:20,880 –> 00:05:26,380 And David looking at these three blessings feels that God has poured so many good gifts 70 00:05:26,380 –> 00:05:27,399 into his life. 71 00:05:27,399 –> 00:05:31,160 God’s done so much for me. 72 00:05:31,160 –> 00:05:34,119 What can I now do for him? 73 00:05:34,119 –> 00:05:39,820 And so here we have the story of how David had at this point, he had it in his heart 74 00:05:39,820 –> 00:05:42,579 to build a temple for God. 75 00:05:42,579 –> 00:05:48,299 But God said, no and that privilege was given to someone else. 76 00:05:48,299 –> 00:05:51,760 It was given to Solomon, David’s son. 77 00:05:51,760 –> 00:05:56,559 Now here’s the obvious question that arises from this story. 78 00:05:56,559 –> 00:05:59,600 Why did God say no? 79 00:05:59,600 –> 00:06:02,760 Why did God say no? 80 00:06:02,760 –> 00:06:08,799 Why would God close the door on something good when he opened the door for precisely 81 00:06:08,799 –> 00:06:10,459 the same thing for someone else? 82 00:06:10,459 –> 00:06:19,320 We don’t find it easy to live with the mystery of God’s providence. 83 00:06:19,320 –> 00:06:25,480 Why one thing happens in your life and a different thing happens in someone else’s? 84 00:06:25,500 –> 00:06:30,920 And so when we look at that and we become perplexed about it, we go looking for an explanation. 85 00:06:30,920 –> 00:06:36,519 What’s the reason as to why this door was closed on David when it was opened a few years 86 00:06:36,519 –> 00:06:39,079 later for his son, Solomon? 87 00:06:39,079 –> 00:06:46,519 Perhaps, and some writers go down this road, perhaps David had done something wrong. 88 00:06:46,519 –> 00:06:50,640 Perhaps there was pride in his heart as he thought about putting up this temple. 89 00:06:50,640 –> 00:06:54,660 Was it that David was presumptuous? 90 00:06:54,660 –> 00:07:01,320 But nothing like that is stated in the Bible against David. 91 00:07:01,320 –> 00:07:05,660 I want you to see today and I believe this is important, that David actually had the 92 00:07:05,660 –> 00:07:06,660 right concern. 93 00:07:06,660 –> 00:07:08,459 He had the right goal. 94 00:07:08,459 –> 00:07:11,320 That he had the right heart, and he followed the right process. 95 00:07:11,320 –> 00:07:15,140 What David did here was good. 96 00:07:15,140 –> 00:07:16,700 And God said no. 97 00:07:16,700 –> 00:07:21,100 That’s why it speaks so powerfully to us today, because we experience that also in 98 00:07:21,100 –> 00:07:22,899 our lives. 99 00:07:22,899 –> 00:07:24,899 So let me walk you through this for a moment. 100 00:07:24,899 –> 00:07:27,540 Notice first that this was the right concern. 101 00:07:27,540 –> 00:07:29,380 Verse two. 102 00:07:29,380 –> 00:07:37,859 The king David said to Nathan the prophet see now I dwell in a house of cedar. 103 00:07:37,859 –> 00:07:42,399 but the ark of God dwells in a tent. 104 00:07:42,399 –> 00:07:45,640 Now that was a right concern. 105 00:07:45,640 –> 00:07:50,579 Here is David and he has a comfortable life. 106 00:07:50,640 –> 00:07:54,679 As many of us here today have comfortable lives. 107 00:07:54,679 –> 00:07:58,399 He lives in a house of cedar. 108 00:07:58,399 –> 00:08:03,399 And he looks at how much he has spent on himself and on his own comfort. 109 00:08:03,399 –> 00:08:07,700 And then he looks at what he has given to God. 110 00:08:07,700 –> 00:08:12,700 And he says to himself in effect as makes this comparison he says I have spent a very 111 00:08:12,700 –> 00:08:18,480 good deal on myself and I have spent a great deal on my own comfort it is time now that 112 00:08:18,480 –> 00:08:26,119 I use the great resources that God has trusted to me in order to do something significant 113 00:08:26,119 –> 00:08:31,079 for his great work in the world. 114 00:08:31,079 –> 00:08:38,359 And this process that David goes through of comparing the comfort of his own life with 115 00:08:38,359 –> 00:08:44,159 the needs of the work of God in the world is exactly the right kind of comparison that 116 00:08:44,159 –> 00:08:46,919 we should make also. 117 00:08:47,000 –> 00:08:53,719 This was precisely the argument that the prophet Haggai used at a later time during the time 118 00:08:53,719 –> 00:08:59,200 of Nehemiah when God’s people came back to rebuild the temple. 119 00:08:59,200 –> 00:09:06,080 And Haggai said this, is this the time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses 120 00:09:06,080 –> 00:09:10,880 while this house that is God’s house lies in ruins? 121 00:09:11,760 –> 00:09:15,400 In other words, Haggai is pressing the question 122 00:09:15,400 –> 00:09:19,599 that David raised for himself. 123 00:09:19,599 –> 00:09:25,539 Can your conscience really live with what you give to God in the light of what you spend 124 00:09:25,539 –> 00:09:26,539 on yourself? 125 00:09:26,539 –> 00:09:29,159 That’s the question. 126 00:09:29,159 –> 00:09:34,919 And David’s answer to the question that he raises for himself is, I can’t live with that. 127 00:09:34,919 –> 00:09:37,840 I mean so much has come to me. 128 00:09:37,900 –> 00:09:41,440 And I am enjoying so much right now. 129 00:09:41,440 –> 00:09:48,700 And when I look at what I have given to God, I must find a way of doing something for God 130 00:09:48,700 –> 00:09:53,659 that is going to be a reflection of my great gratitude to him, my great love for him. 131 00:09:53,659 –> 00:09:59,380 I just can’t live with the disproportion that I see right now. 132 00:09:59,380 –> 00:10:02,479 Now that’s the right concern. 133 00:10:02,479 –> 00:10:03,780 Second the right goal. 134 00:10:04,260 –> 00:10:08,140 Now of course, people who are looking to find something wrong with David here, you know, 135 00:10:08,140 –> 00:10:13,059 let’s find where the fault is with David to explain why God said no. 136 00:10:13,059 –> 00:10:17,320 It’s easy of course to say well you see putting up a great building, that surely wouldn’t 137 00:10:17,320 –> 00:10:21,679 have been the right way for David to invest his money. 138 00:10:21,679 –> 00:10:23,840 And yet actually it was how David invested its money. 139 00:10:23,840 –> 00:10:25,479 He provided all the resources. 140 00:10:25,479 –> 00:10:32,239 It was just his son, Solomon, who actually got the joy of doing the building. 141 00:10:32,299 –> 00:10:38,000 And besides, there was absolutely nothing wrong with David’s goal for there to be a temple. 142 00:10:38,000 –> 00:10:39,000 Why? 143 00:10:39,000 –> 00:10:43,679 Because God blessed Solomon with the privilege of putting up that temple. 144 00:10:43,679 –> 00:10:50,640 And when it was built, God’s own presence came down and the glory of his presence filled 145 00:10:50,640 –> 00:10:53,340 that temple. 146 00:10:53,340 –> 00:10:55,960 So when we read verse five, 147 00:10:55,960 –> 00:11:03,280 Go and tell my servant, David thus says the Lord, would you build me a house to dwell 148 00:11:03,280 –> 00:11:04,280 in? 149 00:11:04,280 –> 00:11:07,760 The emphasis is very much on the word you. 150 00:11:07,760 –> 00:11:11,119 The point is not that God forbids the building of the temple. 151 00:11:11,119 –> 00:11:14,960 Clearly that is not the case because it was part of the plan and purpose of God in the 152 00:11:14,960 –> 00:11:17,159 next generation. 153 00:11:17,159 –> 00:11:20,020 The point is not that God forbids the building of the temple. 154 00:11:20,020 –> 00:11:24,460 It is simply that David won’t be the one who gets to build it. 155 00:11:24,520 –> 00:11:27,960 Someone else will get to do what you wanted to do, David. 156 00:11:27,960 –> 00:11:29,580 It’ll be your son. 157 00:11:29,580 –> 00:11:35,299 And verse 13 makes this very clear, he shall build a house for my name, not you, someone 158 00:11:35,299 –> 00:11:38,580 else. 159 00:11:38,580 –> 00:11:40,340 And then David had the right heart. 160 00:11:40,340 –> 00:11:45,140 Again, I’ve read this week, folks who are trying to find there must be something that 161 00:11:45,140 –> 00:11:46,739 David did wrong. 162 00:11:46,739 –> 00:11:49,020 That was the explanation of God, saying no. 163 00:11:49,020 –> 00:11:53,559 And so of course, it’s easy if you’re on that hunt to say, well, it must have been 164 00:11:53,559 –> 00:11:55,640 a bad attitude. 165 00:11:55,640 –> 00:11:58,979 It must have been that David had pride in his heart. 166 00:11:58,979 –> 00:12:02,940 It must’ve been that even though he said, oh, this is going to be for the glory of God, 167 00:12:02,940 –> 00:12:07,599 that really, you know, he wanted to do a great thing that would be remembered and attributed 168 00:12:07,599 –> 00:12:13,280 to his name and so forth, but that cannot be the case. 169 00:12:13,280 –> 00:12:20,960 And here’s why, God actually in scripture commends David for having had the desire to 170 00:12:20,960 –> 00:12:23,200 put up the temple. 171 00:12:23,260 –> 00:12:26,500 You find that in 1 Kings chapter 8 and verse 18. 172 00:12:26,500 –> 00:12:29,880 It’s quite explicit and it’s repeated in Chronicles. 173 00:12:29,880 –> 00:12:36,239 The Lord said to my father David, so here’s Solomon reporting what God said to David, 174 00:12:36,239 –> 00:12:46,960 whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your 175 00:12:46,960 –> 00:12:47,960 heart. 176 00:12:48,479 –> 00:12:53,760 You see, we know that verse that says man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks 177 00:12:53,760 –> 00:12:58,320 on the heart and God looked on the heart of David and what he saw in the heart of David 178 00:12:58,320 –> 00:13:00,880 was good. 179 00:13:00,880 –> 00:13:03,799 You did well to have this desire. 180 00:13:03,799 –> 00:13:05,200 It wasn’t something twisted. 181 00:13:05,200 –> 00:13:07,380 It wasn’t all about David himself. 182 00:13:07,380 –> 00:13:08,380 No. 183 00:13:08,380 –> 00:13:13,659 He really wanted to do something for the glory of God and God commended him for the desire 184 00:13:13,659 –> 00:13:18,679 that he had in his heart, even though he didn’t get to do it. 185 00:13:18,679 –> 00:13:20,580 So it’s the right concern. 186 00:13:20,580 –> 00:13:21,580 It’s the right goal. 187 00:13:21,580 –> 00:13:24,400 He had the right heart and he followed the right process. 188 00:13:24,400 –> 00:13:30,239 I mean, when you have an idea and impulse of here’s something I would like to do for 189 00:13:30,239 –> 00:13:31,239 God, what do you do? 190 00:13:31,239 –> 00:13:32,679 Do you just rush off and do it? 191 00:13:32,679 –> 00:13:33,679 No. 192 00:13:33,679 –> 00:13:38,919 You seek wise and godly counsel and that is exactly what David did. 193 00:13:39,559 –> 00:13:41,000 Verse two, the king. 194 00:13:50,640 –> 00:13:56,059 So David seeks out wise counsel with regards to what is in his heart that he’d like to 195 00:13:56,059 –> 00:14:02,820 do for the Lord and what better thing could he have done than to seek the counsel of Nathan 196 00:14:02,880 –> 00:14:09,299 who was known as a prophet, a man who like David, truly hate walked with God. 197 00:14:09,299 –> 00:14:14,700 And as he tells Nathan the particular concern he has, Nathan gives him every encouragement 198 00:14:14,700 –> 00:14:18,099 and we would have done the same. 199 00:14:18,099 –> 00:14:23,140 Nathan says go and do all that is in your heart for the Lord is with you. 200 00:14:23,140 –> 00:14:27,059 What could possibly be wrong with what David wants to do? 201 00:14:27,059 –> 00:14:31,859 He wants to do something that will be for the glory of God and he’s ready to commit 202 00:14:31,900 –> 00:14:35,799 deeply resources in order that it should be done. 203 00:14:35,799 –> 00:14:39,380 There’s nothing that could be held up by way of objection to this. 204 00:14:39,380 –> 00:14:46,239 And so the wise and godly counselor says to him go for it David, do it! 205 00:14:46,239 –> 00:14:57,460 And then, after all this no doubt to Nathan’s complete astonishment and to David’s, 206 00:14:57,460 –> 00:15:00,739 God speaks. 207 00:15:00,739 –> 00:15:03,479 And God says no. 208 00:15:03,479 –> 00:15:11,719 And the door closes on something good that David wanted to do for God. 209 00:15:11,719 –> 00:15:14,700 He had the right concern. 210 00:15:14,700 –> 00:15:16,979 He had the right goal. 211 00:15:16,979 –> 00:15:20,940 He had the right motive and he followed the right process and God closes the door and 212 00:15:20,940 –> 00:15:26,039 says in effect but you’re not the right person and this is not the right time. 213 00:15:26,039 –> 00:15:31,599 I am so glad this story is in the Bible. 214 00:15:31,599 –> 00:15:35,359 Is there anyone here who’s not experienced something good that you wanted to do that 215 00:15:35,359 –> 00:15:39,739 didn’t come to pass and you couldn’t quite work out why? 216 00:15:39,739 –> 00:15:44,940 Why did God not open that door for me when he opened it for someone else and when I had 217 00:15:44,940 –> 00:15:50,599 every encouragement to go forward and then this door closed. 218 00:15:50,679 –> 00:15:55,659 This story speaks directly to every time in our lives when we set our hearts on something 219 00:15:55,659 –> 00:16:01,780 good and for some reason the way does not open and you are left wondering why did God 220 00:16:01,780 –> 00:16:06,200 close the door? 221 00:16:06,200 –> 00:16:12,760 What we do know very obviously is that God had a different plan and a different path 222 00:16:12,760 –> 00:16:14,080 for David. 223 00:16:15,039 –> 00:16:22,539 Building, of course, especially great building projects, and this is still true today, building 224 00:16:22,539 –> 00:16:28,640 is really something that you do in time of peace. 225 00:16:28,640 –> 00:16:34,780 Grand projects of this sort have to be put on hold during times of war. 226 00:16:34,780 –> 00:16:41,580 And, of course, like any other leader what David really wanted was to be a leader, to 227 00:16:41,580 –> 00:16:47,219 be the king in a time of peace, to be the leader in a time when God’s people were together, 228 00:16:47,219 –> 00:16:52,239 where the enemies were pushed back and where great things could be accomplished to move 229 00:16:52,239 –> 00:16:58,280 the whole work forward, and to see the kingdom established in a marvelous and in a glorious 230 00:16:58,280 –> 00:16:59,280 way. 231 00:16:59,280 –> 00:17:03,659 And perhaps that is why in verse one where there was this little respite from the enemies, 232 00:17:03,659 –> 00:17:07,500 oh, at last we have not got fights going on. 233 00:17:07,500 –> 00:17:12,640 At last, David the king is free from having to engage in conflict. 234 00:17:12,640 –> 00:17:16,140 Whoever wants to do that, and he says, well now, we can do something great. 235 00:17:16,140 –> 00:17:23,339 Now I can put up this great temple for God. 236 00:17:23,339 –> 00:17:29,900 But instead, if you look forward in your Bible again to chapter eight of second Samuel, and 237 00:17:30,099 –> 00:17:35,599 if you look forward again to chapter ten of second Samuel, what do you find? 238 00:17:35,599 –> 00:17:40,739 You find that there were other battles that God called David to fight. 239 00:17:40,739 –> 00:17:50,819 In fact, he would spend years in battles that had to be fought in order to secure the protection 240 00:17:50,819 –> 00:17:54,500 of the people of God. 241 00:17:54,500 –> 00:17:59,500 And it was only because he engaged in these battles successfully and subdued the enemies 242 00:17:59,500 –> 00:18:04,099 of God to the point where they were pushed back and peace was established, it was only 243 00:18:04,099 –> 00:18:08,939 because David did that, which wasn’t what he wanted to do. 244 00:18:08,939 –> 00:18:14,180 But it was what God called him to do and it was only because David did that, that in the 245 00:18:14,180 –> 00:18:23,199 next generation Solomon reigned in a time of extended peace and was therefore blessed 246 00:18:23,199 –> 00:18:28,979 with leadership in conditions where remarkable things were accomplished including the building 247 00:18:29,199 –> 00:18:32,239 of the Temple of God. 248 00:18:32,239 –> 00:18:37,500 But for years David had to engage in, oh he would rather have been doing other things 249 00:18:37,500 –> 00:18:43,859 but God’s calling on his life was that he had to work his way through this whole series 250 00:18:43,859 –> 00:18:51,260 of conflicts one after another in order to establish the protection and the security 251 00:18:51,260 –> 00:18:53,140 of the people of God. 252 00:18:53,140 –> 00:18:59,579 And you see that of course in the future tenses that are very clear in verse 10 and 11. 253 00:18:59,579 –> 00:19:05,380 Notice what God says to David here, “-I will appoint a place for my people Israel so that 254 00:19:05,380 –> 00:19:09,819 they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more”. 255 00:19:09,819 –> 00:19:13,760 See that hasn’t happened yet David, there’s a lot for you still to do before we get to 256 00:19:13,760 –> 00:19:17,699 the place where we’re ready for temple building. 257 00:19:17,699 –> 00:19:21,939 “…And violent men shall”, verse 10, “…afflict them no more.” 258 00:19:22,219 –> 00:19:23,500 David, that’s not gonna come soon. 259 00:19:23,500 –> 00:19:28,859 You’re gonna have to work against those who are attacking the very foundations of this 260 00:19:28,859 –> 00:19:32,260 kingdom and you’re gonna have to secure it. 261 00:19:32,260 –> 00:19:36,040 And that’s my particular calling upon your life and upon your ministry. 262 00:19:36,040 –> 00:19:41,300 You’re not gonna get to do what you would most want to do because this is what you have 263 00:19:41,300 –> 00:19:43,300 to do. 264 00:19:43,300 –> 00:19:48,920 And then he says in verse 11, “…I will give you rest from your enemies”. 265 00:19:49,640 –> 00:19:54,359 That will be accomplished and that will be the great contribution of your life. 266 00:19:54,359 –> 00:19:55,959 It’s not been established yet. 267 00:19:55,959 –> 00:20:00,439 You’re not yet in the time of peace where it’s going to be the right time for doing 268 00:20:00,439 –> 00:20:01,859 what is in your heart. 269 00:20:01,859 –> 00:20:08,719 And for that reason, it’s going to go to someone else and not to you. 270 00:20:08,719 –> 00:20:14,119 So the rest that David enjoyed in verse one, it really only was a temporary respite. 271 00:20:14,119 –> 00:20:17,000 More battles to be fought. 272 00:20:17,000 –> 00:20:20,380 More difficulties to be faced. 273 00:20:20,380 –> 00:20:25,880 Because that was God’s particular calling on David’s life. 274 00:20:25,880 –> 00:20:32,540 He would be the one who would fight the battles in order that God’s people would be made secure. 275 00:20:32,540 –> 00:20:37,180 And then Solomon, his son, would reap all the benefit. 276 00:20:37,180 –> 00:20:42,540 And would get to be king, as anyone would have wanted to be king, during an extended 277 00:20:42,719 –> 00:20:47,839 period of peace, when great things then could be accomplished. 278 00:20:47,839 –> 00:20:54,280 Well, I don’t think that was very easy for David, do you? 279 00:20:54,280 –> 00:20:59,119 David, you get to do all the hard work, someone else is going to reap the joy, and the benefit, 280 00:20:59,119 –> 00:21:03,000 and the reward! 281 00:21:03,000 –> 00:21:07,640 There may be older folks in our congregation who struggle with that sometimes. 282 00:21:08,579 –> 00:21:10,260 You look at the hardness of your 283 00:21:10,260 –> 00:21:16,540 years and of your life and of your service and you say, boy we went through 284 00:21:16,540 –> 00:21:21,199 all the hard stuff and now other people get benefits they don’t even seem to 285 00:21:21,199 –> 00:21:28,380 appreciate, and that isn’t easy when doors that are open to others are far 286 00:21:28,380 –> 00:21:35,560 greater than were open to you when you were that age. 287 00:21:35,560 –> 00:21:42,160 So here’s David in a story that speaks absolutely to us. He had the right 288 00:21:42,160 –> 00:21:46,380 concern, the right goal, the right heart, the right process but God closes the 289 00:21:46,380 –> 00:21:49,479 door it is not the right time and it turns out he’s not the right person 290 00:21:49,479 –> 00:21:54,280 there is something else that he is called upon to do for God, it’s not what 291 00:21:54,280 –> 00:21:58,839 he wanted to do, it’s not what he wished for his own life, but it was what God 292 00:21:58,880 –> 00:22:08,479 called him to. How is David going to respond when what is in his heart is not 293 00:22:08,479 –> 00:22:16,520 in God’s plan, how are you going to respond when what’s in your heart is not 294 00:22:16,520 –> 00:22:24,339 in God’s plan? Well let me suggest to you that there are two things that stand out 295 00:22:24,339 –> 00:22:28,119 very clearly from this story, we’ll only deal with the first today and then we’ll 296 00:22:28,119 –> 00:22:35,959 come back God willing to the second next time. First, when God closes a door 297 00:22:35,959 –> 00:22:43,319 that you hoped would open your own faith is going to be tested and then second 298 00:22:43,319 –> 00:22:46,760 we’ll look at this next week when God closes a door that you hoped would be 299 00:22:46,760 –> 00:22:52,060 open, when God says no his promise remains sure 300 00:22:52,060 –> 00:22:57,579 here’s the first then when God says no your faith is going to be tested and it 301 00:22:57,640 –> 00:23:05,060 will be tested in three ways. The first is how well do you love God? Now always 302 00:23:05,060 –> 00:23:08,880 remember the very first calling of God on all of our lives as Christian 303 00:23:08,880 –> 00:23:12,939 believers is that we love him with all of our heart that’s the first 304 00:23:12,939 –> 00:23:20,979 commandment that is the first thing that God lays claim to in your life love the 305 00:23:20,979 –> 00:23:31,739 Lord with all your heart now think about this if it is really true that you want 306 00:23:31,739 –> 00:23:39,319 to do something for the Lord then your love for the Lord will remain the same 307 00:23:39,319 –> 00:23:47,040 even if the door closes on what you hoped to do if you really love the Lord 308 00:23:47,140 –> 00:23:52,699 and what you want to do is for the Lord then your love for Him will remain the 309 00:23:52,699 –> 00:24:01,640 same even if you don’t get to do what you hoped to do last week Karen and I 310 00:24:01,640 –> 00:24:05,560 went out shopping I just wanted to get a gift for her not for any particular 311 00:24:05,560 –> 00:24:11,020 occasion let’s go out I’d like to get a gift for you let’s go and will so we hit 312 00:24:11,020 –> 00:24:15,839 the shops and I wanted to do something just to say I love you just a gift and 313 00:24:15,920 –> 00:24:21,439 now I want you to picture this suppose I emphasize the words suppose because 314 00:24:21,439 –> 00:24:27,560 this didn’t actually happen but suppose that on this shopping trip I find a 315 00:24:27,560 –> 00:24:38,959 necklace and I like it and I say oh I’d like to give this to you and she says 316 00:24:39,280 –> 00:24:49,040 if you’re gonna give me a gift I have something else in mind and then suppose 317 00:24:49,040 –> 00:24:57,000 I say but this is what I want to give you and she says well it’s really not 318 00:24:57,000 –> 00:25:04,060 what I want and I say but I insist well now at this point very obviously I am no 319 00:25:04,060 –> 00:25:07,300 longer acting in love something has gone terribly wrong 320 00:25:07,300 –> 00:25:14,699 in regards to this good desire to give a gift love says I want to give you a 321 00:25:14,699 –> 00:25:21,979 gift I’ve got this idea but if you want something different from me then I want 322 00:25:21,979 –> 00:25:30,900 to give what pleases you now David is a marvelous example of this for us here he 323 00:25:31,680 –> 00:25:38,099 loves the Lord yet an idea as to what he would like to give to the Lord and the 324 00:25:38,099 –> 00:25:42,099 Lord closes the door on that but in effect as we follow through the chapter 325 00:25:42,099 –> 00:25:46,160 this is what he’s saying in the way that he responds Lord you’re the one who 326 00:25:46,160 –> 00:25:51,859 chooses the gift that I should give you I wanted to give a temple for your glory 327 00:25:51,859 –> 00:25:57,500 but if you want something different from me I will give what pleases you even if 328 00:25:57,500 –> 00:26:04,300 it’s not the gift that I would have wanted to give and you know here’s 329 00:26:04,300 –> 00:26:11,599 something quite remarkable God’s saying no to David with regards to 330 00:26:11,599 –> 00:26:17,459 building the temple was actually part of God’s seeing yes to what turned out to 331 00:26:17,459 –> 00:26:20,959 be the greatest contribution of David’s life to the advance of the purpose of 332 00:26:20,959 –> 00:26:26,680 God what was the great outstanding contribution if David surely it was this 333 00:26:26,680 –> 00:26:35,739 he established peace by at last after centuries subduing the enemies of God’s 334 00:26:35,739 –> 00:26:41,780 people he was the first one to do that with real substance and after his time 335 00:26:41,780 –> 00:26:48,760 there was no one else who came close to his success in establishing peace by 336 00:26:48,760 –> 00:26:58,000 subduing the enemies of God now Solomon could not have built the temple if it 337 00:26:58,000 –> 00:27:03,520 had not been that David had defeated the enemies and established the piece and 338 00:27:03,520 –> 00:27:07,619 David could not have defeated the enemies and established the peace if he 339 00:27:07,619 –> 00:27:13,959 had been all tied up in trying to build a temple so you see what to you may be a 340 00:27:13,959 –> 00:27:18,380 great disappointment you had an idea as to what your part was going to be what 341 00:27:18,479 –> 00:27:23,300 you would like to offer to god what to you may be a great disappointment that 342 00:27:23,300 –> 00:27:27,219 God closed the door on you doing that 343 00:27:27,219 –> 00:27:31,380 that me and God’s great kindness actually opened the way to some other 344 00:27:31,380 –> 00:27:34,839 work that may not have been the role that you would have chosen but actually 345 00:27:34,839 –> 00:27:39,380 turns out to be your greatest contribution to the advance of the plan 346 00:27:39,380 –> 00:27:42,300 and the purpose of God that’s exactly what happens here 347 00:27:42,300 –> 00:27:49,040 and you know what if you really love the Lord you will be content for him to 348 00:27:49,040 –> 00:27:53,819 determine what you should give and find peace in the path that he has 349 00:27:53,819 –> 00:28:02,500 mapped and for you second way in which faith will be tested is how well do you 350 00:28:02,500 –> 00:28:08,859 love others how well do you love God how well do you love others the second 351 00:28:08,859 –> 00:28:10,020 calling of God 352 00:28:10,020 –> 00:28:14,680 your life as a Christian again I’m quoting the teaching of Her Lord Jesus 353 00:28:14,680 –> 00:28:20,160 love God with all your heart he says that’s first and second what does he say 354 00:28:20,160 –> 00:28:28,920 you love your neighbor as yourself now what does that mean to love your 355 00:28:28,920 –> 00:28:36,300 neighbor as yourself would mean that you find as much joy in God blessing your 356 00:28:36,500 –> 00:28:42,800 friend your sister or your brother as you would find if God gave that same 357 00:28:42,800 –> 00:28:50,060 blessing to you that’s what it would mean to love your neighbor as yourself 358 00:28:50,060 –> 00:29:00,939 now let’s admit straightaway none of us are there yet but when God’s grace is 359 00:29:00,939 –> 00:29:07,520 finished with you and me and his redeeming work in all of our hearts is 360 00:29:07,520 –> 00:29:12,699 complete that is where every one of us will be it will be one of the joys of 361 00:29:12,699 –> 00:29:17,160 life in the new heaven and the new earth that every one of us will have as much 362 00:29:17,160 –> 00:29:22,439 joy on a blessing bestowed on someone else as we would have had if that 363 00:29:22,439 –> 00:29:28,579 particular gift privilege or blessing had been bestowed on us it’s hard to 364 00:29:28,579 –> 00:29:37,020 imagine isn’t it but think about it kids on a soccer team for you to have as 365 00:29:37,020 –> 00:29:41,739 much joy in someone else scoring a goal as you would have had if you’d scored it 366 00:29:41,739 –> 00:29:48,739 yourself folks in a music ministry for you to have as much joy in the success 367 00:29:48,739 –> 00:29:53,180 of someone who’s given a solo part as you would have had if that part had been 368 00:29:53,439 –> 00:30:03,719 given to you pastors and ministry leaders in a city having as much joy in 369 00:30:03,719 –> 00:30:10,599 God’s blessing being poured out on someone else’s church or ministry as you 370 00:30:10,599 –> 00:30:19,979 would have had if that same blessing was being poured out on your own no envy no 371 00:30:19,979 –> 00:30:30,459 jealousy gone forever that awful plague of why him why her and not me all that 372 00:30:30,459 –> 00:30:34,880 gone forever while because you love your neighbor as yourself because God’s 373 00:30:34,880 –> 00:30:40,020 redeeming work in you is complete that’s what it will be like when God’s grace 374 00:30:40,020 –> 00:30:45,420 has finished its work and you know what growing in grace means that we move in 375 00:30:46,000 –> 00:30:55,859 that direction now again David gives us a marvelous example here if building the 376 00:30:55,859 –> 00:31:01,599 temple really is for the glory of God it should not matter to David who 377 00:31:01,599 –> 00:31:08,579 actually gets to build it and David will have the same joy in the temple being 378 00:31:09,160 –> 00:31:15,160 built if it is his son or if it is someone else as he would have had if he 379 00:31:15,160 –> 00:31:20,060 had got to do it himself that’s a remarkable evidence of the grace of God 380 00:31:20,060 –> 00:31:26,479 in this man and that’s what we see in this chapter as it unfolds so David 381 00:31:26,479 –> 00:31:31,140 really shows us what God’s grace can do in this life and in this world we’re not 382 00:31:31,140 –> 00:31:36,880 in heaven yet but here is a remarkable sample of the grace of God at work in 383 00:31:37,060 –> 00:31:43,619 this man’s life he really loves God and so if God wants him to give something 384 00:31:43,619 –> 00:31:48,199 different from what he hoped to give he says well then that’s what I’ll give 385 00:31:48,199 –> 00:31:54,939 Lord and he really loves others and so if God gives the blessing that he would 386 00:31:54,939 –> 00:31:59,000 have liked to someone else he finds joy in the fact that that 387 00:31:59,000 –> 00:32:06,380 blessing was given to someone else rejoice with those who rejoice third 388 00:32:06,859 –> 00:32:13,400 our faith is tested when God closes the door is how well do you understand grace 389 00:32:13,400 –> 00:32:19,380 now remember grace is all about what God does for us what he has done what he’s 390 00:32:19,380 –> 00:32:25,500 doing now and what he will do for us in Jesus Christ grace means that God’s 391 00:32:25,500 –> 00:32:30,660 blessings are given to us freely as a gift in other words they’re not earned 392 00:32:30,660 –> 00:32:35,020 they’re not a response to what we’ve done it’s not a reward for something 393 00:32:35,020 –> 00:32:39,500 that we have given to Him and surely it’s very significant then that this 394 00:32:39,500 –> 00:32:44,819 chapter that begins with what David wants to do for God that it actually 395 00:32:44,819 –> 00:32:51,939 overflows with what God has done and is doing and will do for David look at it 396 00:32:51,939 –> 00:32:57,140 what God has done in the past verse 8 I took you from the pasture from following 397 00:32:57,479 –> 00:33:05,660 the sheep that you should be prince over my people Israel. David when you look at 398 00:33:05,660 –> 00:33:09,180 this closed door just so we were absolutely clear and so that you have 399 00:33:09,180 –> 00:33:13,979 no doubt about my love for you remember this David I took you from being a 400 00:33:13,979 –> 00:33:19,140 shepherd I was the one who made you to be a king and you will find it very 401 00:33:19,140 –> 00:33:24,819 important to savor God’s grace when a door closes for you and when you face 402 00:33:24,839 –> 00:33:30,079 that disappointment remember this as the evidence of his love for you he has laid 403 00:33:30,079 –> 00:33:37,119 hold of your life he has made you his own in Jesus Christ whatever the 404 00:33:37,119 –> 00:33:42,099 disappointment of your life whatever the closed door you are a child, a daughter, 405 00:33:42,099 –> 00:33:46,900 a son of the Living God and you did nothing to deserve this 406 00:33:46,900 –> 00:33:52,400 millions do not yet hve the joy of being in the family of God you are 407 00:33:53,040 –> 00:34:00,260 because of God’s grace to you just take that in and remember David that your 408 00:34:00,260 –> 00:34:06,560 life is showered with grace it has been in the past and it is now look at verse 409 00:34:06,560 –> 00:34:12,379 9 I have been with you wherever you go and have cut off all your enemies from 410 00:34:12,379 –> 00:34:16,020 before you David I’ve walked with you every step of 411 00:34:16,020 –> 00:34:20,860 the journey and I am with you now even in your disappointment even with this 412 00:34:20,860 –> 00:34:25,500 closed door even when this blessing that you sought has been given to someone 413 00:34:25,500 –> 00:34:31,739 else Christian brother sister take in and savor this grace of God the Lord is 414 00:34:31,739 –> 00:34:37,899 with you and in all that you face in and all that you endure he says I will never 415 00:34:37,899 –> 00:34:46,540 leave you I will never forsake you he sticks with us even at our worst and 416 00:34:46,540 –> 00:34:53,459 that is grace and then look at what God will do in the future verse 9 I will 417 00:34:53,459 –> 00:35:00,860 make for you a great name David who you are and what will be the 418 00:35:00,860 –> 00:35:05,439 ultimate outcome of your life that’s safe in my hands don’t worry about it it 419 00:35:05,439 –> 00:35:10,860 doesn’t depend on whether you get to build a temple or not your name David is 420 00:35:10,860 –> 00:35:15,060 not going to rest on what you accomplish for God your name is going to rest on 421 00:35:15,060 –> 00:35:22,360 what I do for you brother sister in Christ for all eternity who you are and 422 00:35:22,360 –> 00:35:29,139 what your life counts for is safe in the hand of Jesus Christ who loved you and 423 00:35:29,139 –> 00:35:35,600 gave himself for you now all of that is grace and savoring 424 00:35:35,600 –> 00:35:44,199 grace takes the sting out of disappointment it really does you see 425 00:35:44,199 –> 00:35:52,280 what God is saying David you make sure that your joy is not focused on what you 426 00:35:52,280 –> 00:36:01,040 hope to do for me you make sure that your joy is focused on what I have done 427 00:36:01,100 –> 00:36:12,520 for you and I end with this today there’s a scene in the Gospels where 428 00:36:12,520 –> 00:36:21,379 Jesus sends out the disciples and they have marvelous success and they come 429 00:36:21,379 –> 00:36:25,379 back from this mission that’s worked for the Lord in which they’re engaged and 430 00:36:25,379 –> 00:36:29,879 they’ve seen demons cast out and they have seen sick people healed and they’ve 431 00:36:29,879 –> 00:36:33,239 seen people marvelously converted they’ve been proclaiming the gospel 432 00:36:33,239 –> 00:36:37,459 they’ve been doing marvelous things that they found great joy in doing for the 433 00:36:37,459 –> 00:36:42,239 Lord Jesus Christ and when they came back they said this to Jesus Lord even 434 00:36:42,239 –> 00:36:47,679 the demons are subject to us in your name you can feel the enthusiasm the 435 00:36:47,679 –> 00:36:55,439 sheer joy of all of this look what we got to do for you Jesus and Jesus answers 436 00:36:55,639 –> 00:37:02,820 them in this way he says do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to 437 00:37:02,820 –> 00:37:09,639 you but rejoice that your names are written in heaven rejoice that your 438 00:37:09,639 –> 00:37:15,360 names are written in heaven. In other words don’t find your joy in 439 00:37:15,360 –> 00:37:24,679 what you’re doing for Jesus you find your joy in what Jesus is doing for you 440 00:37:24,840 –> 00:37:29,919 And friends, the great importance of that came home to me and it stayed with me 441 00:37:29,919 –> 00:37:37,560 ever since from the story of the last days of probably the greatest preacher 442 00:37:37,560 –> 00:37:45,439 of the 20th century a man by the name of Martin Lloyd-Jones. Lloyd-Jones was 443 00:37:45,439 –> 00:37:49,879 given remarkable success in the work of God. I mean the books he published, the 444 00:37:49,879 –> 00:37:56,399 influence around the world, the travel, the gift that this man was given was an 445 00:37:56,399 –> 00:38:03,120 extraordinary gift to the church and a friend of his told me the story years 446 00:38:03,120 –> 00:38:11,600 ago of visiting with him at the end of his life near the end of his life when 447 00:38:11,600 –> 00:38:18,139 having all these accomplishments this man was down to no longer able to speak 448 00:38:18,139 –> 00:38:23,379 in public around of visits to hospitals three times a week you know the kind of 449 00:38:23,379 –> 00:38:31,340 thing receiving only a very few friends in a small room in his house and a 450 00:38:31,340 –> 00:38:34,320 friend said to him you know you’ve been all over the world you’ve had all of 451 00:38:34,320 –> 00:38:41,739 this influence and now your life is very very different how is it for you now and 452 00:38:42,179 –> 00:38:48,780 Lloyd-Jones quoted this verse he said do not rejoice that the spirits are 453 00:38:48,780 –> 00:38:58,120 subject to you you find your joy in this that your name is written in heaven and 454 00:38:58,120 –> 00:39:02,219 Lloyd-Jones biographer is looking that this again this week and I was struck by 455 00:39:02,219 –> 00:39:07,300 this quote he said this just a few weeks before he died 456 00:39:07,320 –> 00:39:15,860 the greatest danger is that we live on activity and the ultimate test he’s 457 00:39:15,860 –> 00:39:21,479 speaking about himself he says this the ultimate test of a preacher is what he 458 00:39:21,479 –> 00:39:27,459 feels like when he can no longer preach well just translate that into whatever 459 00:39:27,459 –> 00:39:31,979 your particular joy or gift in life may be. I mean that’s true for all of us you 460 00:39:31,979 –> 00:39:36,540 know the ultimate test of the salesman’s when he can no longer sell. The ultimate 461 00:39:36,659 –> 00:39:39,739 test of the creative person is where they’re no longer in a position where 462 00:39:39,739 –> 00:39:44,459 they can create you just translate that into your sphere. The great challenge 463 00:39:44,459 –> 00:39:50,459 that we face is when we are no longer able to do what we love to do and then 464 00:39:50,459 –> 00:39:55,199 we find out if we were finding our joy simply on our own activity or whether 465 00:39:55,199 –> 00:40:00,419 our joy, really, was in the Lord. Whether our lives really were about what we were 466 00:40:00,419 –> 00:40:04,219 able to offer or whether at our heart we have really been gripped by what we have 467 00:40:04,219 –> 00:40:11,500 received. When you know what the Savior has done so that your name will be 468 00:40:11,500 –> 00:40:17,340 written in heaven. So that your sins should be forgiven and your eternal 469 00:40:17,340 –> 00:40:25,439 future completely secure, you will find great joy in what he has done for you 470 00:40:25,439 –> 00:40:33,639 even when doors are closing. And your joy in him will be true irrespective of 471 00:40:33,639 –> 00:40:45,620 what you may or may not get to do for him. Let’s pray together. Father please 472 00:40:45,620 –> 00:40:52,560 help us truly to love you whether you open or close the door to what we want 473 00:40:52,560 –> 00:41:02,959 to do and please help us so to love others that we will find joy in your 474 00:41:02,959 –> 00:41:14,719 gifts to them even when these gifts are not given to us. And please teach us so 475 00:41:14,719 –> 00:41:21,340 to value your grace that we will truly find joy not in what we are doing for 476 00:41:21,340 –> 00:41:30,379 you but in what you have done and are doing for us through Jesus Christ our 477 00:41:30,379 –> 00:41:37,659 Lord in whose wonderful name we pray and all of God’s people together said