This morning. We'd like to talk about a man
after God's Own Heart and David was said to have been a man
after God's Own Heart. You Know The Saul was the first
king of Israel. He was appointed.
The first King Saul was also a man who was who was he was a
little bit Meek and and shy but after he became King, he did
several things wrong, and God had to remove him.
In fact, on this occasion, he offered his own sacrifice
Samuel. He waited for Samuel for a
while, but somehow Samuel was delayed and so he made the
sacrifice himself. Well, that was unlawful.
He was not, he was not a levite, he was not of the of the tribe
or lineage of Aaron so it was unlawful for him to make a
sacrifice like that. And so Samuel at this time, told
him you have done food SLI, you have not kept the Commandments
of the Lord, Our God, your God, which he commanded you for now,
the Lord who have, who would have established your kingdom
over Israel forever. But now, your kingdom shall not
continue. The Lord has sought for himself
a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be
Commander over his people, because you have not kept what
the Lord commanded you. Now, later, Paul talks about
David, he's in Antioch, and he talks about David and actually
about the, you know, the history of Israel, kind of like Stephen
did in Acts 7, but he comes to this point.
And he says, after he had removed him that his Saul, he
raised up for them. David as king to whom also, he
gave testimony and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a
man after my own heart, who will do my will, Will from this man's
seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel, a
savior Jesus. Now, our purpose for our lesson
are our intent is to appoint out the things that David did which
qualified him as a man after God's Own Heart.
And also I've Jesus because there are many similar
characteristics, but that's a great compliment to be called a
man after God's Own Heart. That's what we all want to be.
And so what we will do is point out the things David does and
the similarities of Jesus and really point out that we should
have that kind of quality too. No, David loved the word of God.
Psalms, 119 and 97. Oh, how I love your law.
It is my meditation. All the day, all of us.
Psalms 119 is talks about the word and how, how David is
thrilled and delighted with the, with the word later on.
He says, I will Delight myself in your Commandments which I
love my hands. Also, I will lift up To your
Commandments, which I love, I will meditate on your statutes.
In Psalms 119 and 11, your word, I have hidden in my heart that I
might not sin against you now. That's how David would keep from
sin, really? You know, it's evident in the
history of David that when he left the God's Commandments was
when he got into trouble as long as he clung to the Commandments
of God, he was successful. Psalms 119 and 50.
This is my comfort. In my Affliction, for your word
has given me life. Psalms 119 and 165, great peace.
Have those who love your law and nothing causes them to stumble.
Well, Jesus also love the word in his temptation.
This is a real example of his loving the law, loving the law,
and always resorting to the law when Jesus was tempted by the
devil after he had fasted for 40 days.
It says he was hungered. And so the devil tempted him and
said, command these stones to be made bread.
And Jesus said it is written man, shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceeds Out of the mouth of
God. He was strong enough to resist
the devil, but the word gave him strength and guidance because
it's written, you don't live by just bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds from the mouth of God, the devil also,
tempted him and took him to a high place.
And he said, cast yourself down because it's written.
He shall give his angels charge, concerning you unless you dash
your foot against the stone. But Jesus said, Said it is
written. You shall not tempt the Lord,
your God. Again, the devil took him and
showed him all of the nations of the world and said, all this
will I give you if you fall down and worship me?
And Jesus commanded him to get away.
Get away with you, Satan for it is written.
You shall Worship the Lord, your God and him.
Only You Shall Serve. And we see obviously that Jesus
always resorting to the word and had the word as his guide went
during Temptation and trials, such as these.
And certainly we could take an example from these.
This is a quality of a man. After God's Own Heart, who holds
to the teachings of God and the Commandments of God and lets
them guide him and it's it guides him in Temptations.
David had it meditated on his heart all the time.
And also in times of Affliction as Jesus was afflicted with
trials. When we're troubled, when dried
we resort to the word resort to the word and that will give us
strength and guidance. Whenever we're trialed Jesus,
again used the word to fight Temptation and guide him in
truth and defend him against false worship.
We could all take a lesson from that and let the word guide us
in everything we do in worship and in life.
And a man after God's Own Heart, will use the word for all of
these benefits. The psalmist Psalm.
So 1 + 1 through 3 blessed, is the man who walks not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of Sinners,
nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
But his Delight is in the law of God.
And in his law, he meditates day and night, he shall be like a
tree planted by the rivers of water.
That brings forth its fruit in its season, whose Leaf shall not
wither and whatever he does shall prosper.
David also love to pray. He says in Psalms 116 and 1 into
I love the Lord because he has heard my voice and my
supplications because he is inclined his ear to me.
Therefore I will call upon him as long as I live. 116 12,
through 13. What shall I render to the Lord
for all his benefits towards me? I will take up the cup of
Salvation and call upon the name of the Lord, David recognize
that in the Lord was, was all the benefits in the Lord was,
and is wonderful to have the ear of the Lord, because that's
where he received his salvation. One night, 145 an 18 through 19,
the Lord is near to all who call upon him to all who call upon
him in truth. He will fulfill the desires of
those who fear Him. He will also hear their cries
and save them. Jesus also was a man of Prayer.
I had not really noticed this scripture before but Luke 5 and
16 so he withdrew so he himself often withdrew Into the
Wilderness and pray. Jesus did tried to get away from
the crowds during his ministry and he would go to a secluded
place or a high place away from the crowd so that he could
meditate and pray. Luke 11 and 1.
Now it came to pass as he was praying in a certain place when
he ceased that one of his disciples said unto him, Lord,
teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples.
This is when Jesus gave them what, what they refer to as the
Lord's Prayer was really the disciples prayer because he gave
him them that prayer as an example and taught his
disciples, how to pray. Also this verse here, Luke 18
and 1 through 5 here, Jesus teaches us, a an important
aspect of our prayer. We should continually Come To
God In Prayer often. And he says to them, this
parable about men ought to always pray and not lose heart,
you know, sometimes it's hard to see God's answers and sometimes
we just need to continue to petition God for Our needs and
also with Thanksgiving, he says here that if there's a certain
way in a certain city a judge who did not fear, God nor regard
man. Now there was a widow in that
City and she came to him saying, get Justice for me from my
adversary and he would not for a while.
But afterward he said within himself though, I do not fear
God nor regard man yet because this Widow troubles me, I will
Avenger less by her continual. Coming.
She weary me. now, this is not comparing God to an unjust
judge, though, in a sense it is, God is just But this was just a
man, if we could convince a man who doesn't regard God or
doesn't regard man to help us by are continually coming and
continually petitioning him. Certainly God would who loves us
help us. And in our time of need and
answer our prayer. Jesus often resorted to prayer
and in the garden, we know that in Jesus prayed so earnestly in
the garden before his crucifixion.
That's a that's a terrible scene but Jesus, three times, he took
his disciples with him to watch for him while he went to saw
apart and and prayed and he prayed so earnestly and of
course, he knew what was ahead. But he prayed to God for
Comfort, or for strength, or if there was any other way, and it
says that sweat, as great drops of blood fell from his brow.
So he there's an example of earnest and, and deep I guess
prayer to God in times of trial. On the cross Jesus called to
God, several times, Luke 23 and 34 Jesus said, father forgive
them for they know, not what they do later on.
As Jesus was, was suffering on the cross.
So and God black the sky with clouds.
He felt he left. He felt alone, and he cried out
with a loud voice saying, Eli, Eli Lama sabachthani.
That is my God. God my God.
Why have you forsaken me? And then when he died just
before he died, he called out, father into the, your hands.
I commit, my spirit. So at Jesus, most troubled time
he called to God several times. You know, we can do that at any
time, we can, we can speak to God.
Because God, we know that God hears, our prayers, Philippians
4 and 6, be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and
supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known
to God. God and the peace of God, which
passes all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds
through Jesus Christ. First Thessalonians 5 and 17.
Pray without ceasing in everything.
Give, thanks for this is, the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning. You David, certainly found peace
and, and comfort in prayer. And he prays, he said,
continually Proverbs twenty thirty two and five.
I acknowledged my sin to you and my iniquity.
I have not hidden. I said I confess my
transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my
sin sayla. You know, he says he confesses
his sin, he doesn't hold back his sin from God.
And in doing so God forgives, he felt the Forgiveness of God.
He found comfort and forgiveness of his sins C'est Le is means
Clark says, this is all true. I know it.
I feel it. I felt it.
This is used often times in the Hebrew.
In the Psalms and that's what it means. then he says, for this,
cause further in that verse for this, cause everyone who is
Godly, shall pray to you for this cause for the forgiveness
for the comfort and the Forgiveness that we receive from
God, through our prayers for this, cause everyone who is
Godly, shall pray to you in a time when you may be found
Surely in a flood of Great Waters in a time.
When you may be found, that means not that God has a
schedule. Then there are times when he can
be found, you know, that kind of makes me think about Frank
recently, talked about Elijah and his, and his competition, or
his, his, his challenge to the prophets of Baal.
He says, you pray to bail and I'll pray to God.
And whoever Brings fire upon his own sacrifice.
That is the true God, and they prayed all day long.
Did all kinds of things, cut themselves and, and as was their
custom to try to get bail to hear them and Elijah chided
them. He says, call louder, maybe he's
asleep, or maybe he's on a journey or you know, thing is he
was just mocking them but God isn't like that.
God, hears us when we come to him with a contrite and honest
heart, when we confess our sins, don't hide them from God,
they're Hidden from God anyway but confess them that's when he
will be found. Surely in a flood of Great
Waters. Others think this has to do with
the flood. Surely in the floods of Great
Waters. They shall not come near him.
That is the Sinners at the time of the flood were destroyed by
the but the righteous were saved.
But Clark says this and I think this is fit it.
More fitting. The flood of Great Waters is the
challenges of the righteous and The Temptations or Trials of
life. They won't bother us.
If we go to God with a contrite and honest open heart, you are
my Hiding Place. You shall preserve me from
trouble. You shall surround me with the
songs of Deliverance. Hebrews 4 and 16.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace.
That we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of
need. A man of God's Own a man.
After God's Own Heart. Surely should be a man of
Prayer. David love to praise God.
He says in Psalms 119 164 seven times a day.
I praise you because of your righteous judgments.
Psalms 95 and 10 come, let us sing to the Lord.
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our Salvation.
Let us come before his presence with Thanksgiving.
Let us shout joyfully to him with Psalms for the Lord, is the
great God and the great king above all gods, in his hands,
are the Deep places of the Earth.
The heights of the hills are his own.
He is also. The sea is his for he made it
and His Hands formed, the dry land.
O come let us worship and Bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker for.
He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the
Sheep of his hand. Psalm 104, I will sing to the
Lord, as long as I live, I will sing praises to my God while I
have been And of course, Jesus love to praise God, too.
When, when Jesus had the Rich Young Ruler, come to him and ask
him for advice about obtaining. The Kingdom of Heaven, he said,
good teacher, or good Master. The King James says, what shall
I do that? I may inherit eternal life and
Jesus said to him, why do you call me good?
No one is good. But one that is God, Jesus.
Recognize the almighty as first. And even Jesus, who certainly
was worthy of a of a good name and to be called good, but he
taught a lesson here that God is the one to be praised and
honored. Jesus John in the latter part of
John, just before Jesus trial and, and and crucifixion.
He goes at length, that talks about Jesus prayer and him, and
Jesus is talking to God, and to the end to the disciples.
And here, he says to spin a prayer.
I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me
out of the world. They are yours.
You gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
Now, they have known that all things, which you have given me
are from you. For I have given to them The
Words, which you have given me and they have received them and
have known surely that I came forth from you, and they have
believed that you sent me the point in this, in this reading,
is that see how Jesus points to God, everything he taught he
emphasized. This is from God.
I am from God, my teaching is from God.
This is from God, and even in his prayer, he A sizes to God,
that they know that you have sent me.
And the words I have given them are from you.
Here Jesus says, I do not pray for these alone but also for
those who will believe in me through their words that they
all may be one as you father are in me.
And I in you that they also may be one in us that the world may
believe that you sent me and the glory, which you gave me, I have
given them that they may be one. Just as we are one.
I in them and you in me that they may be made perfect in one
And that the world may know that you have sent me and have have
loved them as you have loved me. This is a quote from Barnes
commentary and I thought it was very well.
Put he says here, we value the prayers of our Pious friends.
How much more should we value this petition of the Son of God
to that single prayer? We who are Christians?
Oh, infinite lie, more real benefit than the world can ever
bestow. And in the midst of any trial
that we we may remember that the Son of God, pray for us.
Us and that the prayer Was assuredly Heard and will be
answered in reference to all who truly believe.
I thought that was such a good quote and the point is really
Jesus prayed for all who would come after, who would believe
And so all were included in this prayer.
We need to love to praise God. Do we love to praise him?
do we love to come to the assembly and praise him or do we
praise Him throughout our week at home with our children or And
in our work do we show by our conduct that we love and praise
God. Matt.
And and, and, and through our conduct is God, glorified and
praised. Psalms 147.
And one, praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to our
God for his Pleasant and praise is beautiful.
A man after God's Own Heart will love to praise him.
David loved Unity among Brethren, behold, how good, and
how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity.
When? When David had finished slaying
Goliath. And after after that, the armies
of Israel were were strengthened.
They were, they were encouraged because now, this Philistine was
was dead, who had tormented them and that frightened them.
And they did had a great victory over the Philistines, but when
they came back, David was introduced to Saul, Here.
And then when it says when when he had finished When he had
finished speaking to Saul the soul of Jonathan was knit to the
soul of David. Frank recently talked about how
Jonathan and David were such close friends but you know, the
term soul mate. As always kind of bothered me
and thought it was kind of a psychological Ploy or a term to
find your soulmate. But here in the scriptures, we
find soul mates. Saul and Jonathan Souls were
knit together and says The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul
of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul Saul took him
that day and would not let him go home to his father's house
anymore. Then Jonathan and David made a
covenant because he loved him as his own soul and Jonathan took
off the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor
even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
Even though David, by the way often had trouble yet, Jonathan
was on his side and Jonathan helped him even when there was
trouble. But David loved the unity that
he had with Jonathan. Jesus.
Also love unity and we already noticed this this verse 7, John
17, 22 and the glory which you gave me.
I haven't given them that they may be one just as We Are One.
And that the world i in them and you in me that they may be made
perfect in one and that the world may know that you have
sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.
If he's just 2 and 13. But now in G in Christ Jesus you
who once were afar or far off have been brought near by the
blood of Christ. It's through Christ were made
one as Christ is with God. They are 1.we to in him are made
one with Christ. And with God for he himself is
our peace who has made both one and has broken down the middle
wall of partition having abolished in his flesh.
The enmity that is the law of the Contained in ordinances.
So as to create an himself, one new man from the two, thus
making peace and that he might reconcile them.
Both to God in one body through the cross there, by putting to
death the enmity. Now, we've been studying
recently in Acts 10 about the Gentiles being brought into the
the full of Christianity because before they were separated, The
Jews and the Gentiles. But Paul says, here we're made
one were made one. We're all made equal Jews and
Gentiles alike. He says, later, Bond and free
male and female were all one in Christ.
Christ is taken down the middle wall of partition, or the thing
that divided them. There was still, some prejudices
in the hearts of men, but not in the mind of God, because all who
obeyed? The gospel are children of God
and members of the same body? What I mean by this, do we love
unity enough to pay the price because it takes effort to have
Unity. It takes obedience, it takes a
focus to go the same direction and we're guided that way
through the word Ephesians 4:1. I therefore the prisoner of the
Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you
are called with all lowliness and gentleness with
long-suffering. Bearing with one another in love
endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit.
In the bond of Peace. There is one body and one Spirit
just as you are called in one, hope of your calling.
The calling of God makes us one. That is the calling of the
Gospel. This is Paul's plea, that we
would be one, but it takes work. We need to have a lowly and a
gentle heart. Patient bearing with one another
in love endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit, the unity
of the spirit that's key because it is the spirit that guides us
through the work. He says, now I urge you Brethren
to note those who cause Division and offences contrary to the
doctrines, which you her learned and avoid them, Paul had trouble
with with Judy izing teachers, following him wherever he would
go, it's amazes me. I've always thought, don't they
have anything else to do? But they would follow Paul and
they would cause division in the church by saying that the
Gentile converts and To keep the law of Moses.
And that they didn't, they weren't Christians.
But of course, that wasn't true. And that was part of what
happened to the gym, to the Galatians who had Paul had to
rebuke. And, and he said, I Marvel that
ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace
of God, unto another gospel, they were being taught, another
gospel, they needed to hold to the one that they had talked
been taught he says, which is not another, but there be some
that would burrow Pervert the gospel.
They taught something else than what they had received.
So we need to, we need to recognize men who teach other
things and avoid them. Jesus said greater love has no,
man than this that a man lay down.
His life for his friends, you are my friends.
If you keep, if you do whatever, I command you, we need to, we
need to do what Jesus commands. Keep his Commandments.
And if we do, we are as friends. David hated every false way.
This is sort of akin to the last one because David David
expresses that his his his hate for every false way through your
precepts. I get understanding.
Therefore I hate every false way.
The false way is aside from the precepts of God.
Through God's precepts. David says, I get understanding
therefore I hate every false way.
I will set nothing Wicked before my eyes.
I hate the work of those who fall away, I shall not cling.
It shall not cling to me. A perverse.
Heart shall depart from me. I will not know wickedness.
My eyes you'll be on the faithful of the land, they shall
that, they may dwell with me. He Who Walks in a perfect way?
He Shall Serve serve me. He who works.
Deceit shall not dwell it with within my house.
He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
That was David's attitude towards the false way and Jesus
to hated every false way. Remember, when Jesus went to the
temple of God and he saw the money changers tables out in
front who were, who were selling sacrifices doves and, and, you
know, whatever other things, the people needed to do their
sacrifices and they were extorting the people, And Jesus
overturned the tables. Then Jesus went into the temple
of God and drove out. All those who bought and sold in
the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and
the seats of those who sold doves.
And he said to them, it is written.
My house shall be called a House of Prayer, but you have made it
a den of Thieves. Jesus rebuked the the Pharisees
and the scribes, the lawyers in a lengthy reading.
But let's read it because it really it really emphasizes
Jesus attitude towards the towards the wicked.
We're going to read through verse 20, 36:13 through 36 woe
to you, scribes and And Pharisees Hypocrites for you.
Shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for you.
Neither go in yourselves nor do you allow those who are entering
to go in, woe to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you.
Devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers.
Therefore you will receive the greater condemnation woe to you
scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you travel, Land and Sea to
win one proselyte and when he is one, you make him twice as much.
A son of hell. As yourselves.
Woe to you blind guides, who say, whoever swears by the
temple, it is nothing. But whoever swears by the gold
of the temple, he is obliged to perform it fools blind for which
is greater the gold or the temple.
That's actor. Sanctifies the goal and whoever
wears swears by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever swears by
the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it fools and
blind for which is greater the gift or the altar that Sakura
sanctifies the gift. Therefore he who swears by the
altar swears by it and all, and by all things on it, he who
swears by the twin Temple swears by it, and by him who dwells in
it, he who swears by Heaven swears by The Throne of God and
by him who sits on it, woe to you scribes and Pharisees
Hypocrites for you, pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin and
have neglected, the weightier matters of the law, Justice and
mercy and Faith. These you ought to have done and
not leaving the other without leaving the others undone blind
guides who strain out a gnat and swallow, a camel woe to you
scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites, for you cleanse, the
outside of the cup and dish. But inside they are full of
extortion and It's blind Pharisees.
First clean the inside of the cup and the dish and that the
outside of them may be clean. Also, Woe to you scribes and
Pharisees Hypocrites because you build the tombs of the prophets
and Adorn, the most monuments of the righteous and say if we had
lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have
pertain partakers of them with them in the blood of the
prophets. Therefore you are witnesses
against yourself that you are the sons of those who murdered
the prophets fill up then the measure of the your father's
guilt, serpents brood of vipers. How can you escape?
The condemnation of Hell? Therefore in.
Indeed I sent to you profits wise men and scribes some of
them you will kill and crucify and some of them you will
Scourge in your synagogues and persecute from City to city that
on. You may come all the righteous
blood shed on the earth from the blood of the righteous Abel to
the blood of Zechariah, the son of berechiah on whom you
murdered between the temple. And the altar assuredly, I say
to you all these things will come upon this generation.
Of course, a lot of commentary could be made on these on these
verses, but, you know, it's so much like the world today that
have the keys to the kingdom in the word of God, but they don't
go in and they won't let anybody else.
They won't teach anybody else. The truth that they may enter,
either they had the keys, those scribes and Pharisees were the
religious leaders of the Jews. The lawyers who Read and
interpret the law. The scribes who wrote the law,
the, the Pharisees and Sadducees, who taught the people
led the people. They taught them in air and led
them in error and so they were there in, he said, Would be the
end of those who killed and had the blood of the prophets on
their hands that would be their end.
And that'll be the end of all those who do not love the truth,
and hate every false way. Hold to the truth.
That is the admonition to to us. though, we walk in the flesh, we
do not war, according to the flesh for the weapons of our
Warfare are not carnal, But Mighty in God, for pulling down
strongholds, casting down imaginations and every Casting
down arguments and every High thing.
The new King James says imaginations arguments and every
High thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God
bringing into captivity bringing every thought into captivity to
The Obedience of Christ. It was said of David that he
would do, all my will and that's what made him a man of after
God's Own Heart. Jesus said I come to do thy will
o God. And in Hebrews 5 and 8 though he
were a son yet learned he obedience by the things which he
suffered Jesus obeyed God by going to the cross that was his
mission. And that was his call of God.
And by doing that, he was obedient to God, Ephesians
Philippians 2, and am being found in fashion.
As a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the Cross. He was a man after God's Own
Heart, too. Just as David, he did, all the
will of God, And so how about us?
That's the conclusion. Are we people after God's Own
Heart as David and Christ were men and women?
Not everyone, that saith unto me.
Lord. Lord shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father in
Heaven. The man after God's Own Heart,
will do his will, and will do all of his will, and that's what
we should be. It would be wonderful to be
called a man after God's Own Heart.
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