Its Me O Lord In Need Of Prayer 2 Sam 7

ITS ME O LORD—STANDIN IN THE NEED OF PRAYER

2 SAM. 7:18-29

INTRO: (EX: CHAPLAIN AT PAINE COLLEGE IN GEORGIA PREACHED SHORTEST SERMON IN COLLEGE HISTORY (YOU ARE PRAYING FOR THAT TODAY) BUT HE HAD A LONG TOPIC “WHAT DOES CHRIST ANSWER WHEN WE ASK “LORD WHAT’S IN RELIGION FOR ME?”  THE CONTENT OF HIS SERMON WAS ONE WORD—“NOTHING!”  HE SAID THE ONE WORD SERMON WAS FOR PEOPE BROUGHT UP ON THE “GIMMIE GOSPEL”—WHEN ASKED HOW LONG IT TOOK HIM TO PREPARE THE MESSAGE HE SAID “20 YRS”—WE DO HAVE AN OBSESSION WITH SELF IN OUR CULTURE—IN FACT THERE IS A MAGAZINE “SELF”---(EX: CONVERSATION OVERHEARD AT PARTY “MY HUSBAND & I HAVE MANAGES TO BE HAPPY TOGETHER 20 YRS—I GUESS BECAUSE WE WERE BOTH IN LOVE WITH THE SAME MAN”  --DAVID REALIZED IT WAS NOT ABOUT WHAT HE WANTED BUT ABOUT WHAT GOD WANTED. THE ISSUE IS DO OUR PLANS/GOALS LINE UP WITH GOD’S WILL? IF ITS IN OUR HEART TO PLEASE GOD OR SERVE HIM IN SOME WAY GOD WILL BLESS THAT—NOW HE MIGHT REARRANGE OUR PLANS BUT IT WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER---BECAUSE THE PROMISE OF WHAT IS TO COME IS INFINITELY/ETERNALLY BETTER

I.                  DAVID’S VISION FOR GODS HOUSE (V.1-4)

THE EVENTS IN 1 SAM ARE NOT IN CHRON. ORDER.  DAVID HAD COMPLETED HIS PALACE (“SETTLED IN HIS HOUSE”)—THERE IS A PLAY ON WORDS HERE  IN HEB.---IT IS A TIME WHEN ISRAEL AT PEACE & DAVID HAS PEACE—THE ON-GOING WAR WITH PHILISTINES IS SETTLED (FOR NOW)—SO EVENTS HERE COME LATER IN DAVID’S REIGN—LIKELY AFTER SIN WITH BATHSHEBA & HIS PRAYER OF REPENTANCE –DAVID WAS ON TOP NOW—ENEMY SUBDUED/PEOPLE UNITED/GRAND PALACE—NOW HE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT FOR GOD. IS DAVID TOO OVERCOME WITH HIS POSITION AS KING—THERE IS A WARNING HERE:  BE CAREFUL OUR SUCCESSES DON’T BECOME TRAPS---REMEMBER GODS GRACE—AS MOSES TOLD PEOPLE OF ISRAEL BEFORE THEY TOOK THE PROMISED LAND—THEY WERE GETTING FIELDS THEY DIDN’T PLANT & CITIES THEY DIDN’T BUILD---GODS GRACE.  ( 1 COR. 4:7)  DAVID SHARED HIS VISION OF BLDG A HOUSE FOR GOD WITH PROPHET NATHAN  (PS.132:3-5)—NATHAN JUMPED ON BOARD WITH THE IDEA—ASSUMING IT WAS FROM GOD—BUT HE DIDN’T TAKE TIME TO SEEK GODS WILL. ITS FROM THE KING—IT MUST BE OK.  ITS EASY TO MAKE PLANS WITHOUT CHECKING WITH GOD TO SEE IF THEY ARE IN HIS WILL.  GOD IS ABOVE  HIS BUT WE ARE INVITED TO SEEK HIM/DRAW NEAR TO HIM & ALLOW HOLY SPIRIT ROOM TO WORK IN US. WE HAVE THE LIVING WORD—MEDITATE ON IT & SEEK GOD IN PRAYER.

II.               GODS PROMISE TO BUILD “DAVID’S HOUSE”  (V.5-16)

THEN COMES A REAL SURPRISE TO DAVID.  GOD HAS SOMETHING GREATER IN MIND FOR DAVID.  IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ALLOW GOD TO BUILD HIS WORK (HOUSE) IN US BEFORE WE CAN BUILD ANYTHING FOR HIM  (1 PET.2:4,5)---MOST MAJOR LEADERS IN BIBLE HAD “WILDERNESS TIME”—MOSES IN DESERT—JOSEPH IN PRISON—PAUL IN ARABIA 3 YRS—JESUS IN WILDERNESS 40 DAYS BEFORE BEGAN MINISTRY.  ISRAEL IN WILDERNESS 40 YRS.  SOMETIMES OUR DESIRES/DREAMS ARE NOT OF GOD—IF NOT THEY WILL BE OF FLESH & BE MUCH WEAKER THAN IF GODS POWER WAS BEHIND THEM.  SOMETIMES ITS HARD TO KNOW WHICH IS WHICH.  WELL MEANING FAMILY/FRIENDS LIKE NATHAN MAY SAY “GO & DO ALL THAT IS IN YOUR HEART”—BUT IT MAY NOT BE GODS PLAN.

SO GOD GAVE A CLEAR MESSAGE TO NATHAN (1 CHRON.17:3,4) SO NOW NATHAN HAS TO BACK UP & SAY NO—IT WAS A GOOD IDEA—JUST NOT IN GODS PLAN. GODS WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OURS. GOD PROMISED TO BUILD “HOUSE” FOR DAVID (A DYNASSTY THAT WOULD LAST FOREVER)  DAVID’S SON WOULD SUCCEED HIM AND BUILD THE TEMPLE—AND SOLOMON DID THAT—BUT OF COURSE WE ALSO KNOW THE ULTIMATE FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROMISE WOULD COME IN JESUS—HE IS THE REAL TEMPLE (DESTROY THIS TEMPLE HE TOLD THE PHARISEES & IN 3 DAYS I WILL RAISE IT UP AGAIN). NOW THE CHURCH (HIS PEOPLE) ARE THE TEMPLE WHERE HE DWELLS.  NOW ITS OFTEN HARD TO HEAR THAT GOD WANTS TO USE SOMEONE ELSE TO DO WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU SHOULD DO.  GOD WANTS TO DO MORE THAN WE COULD EVER THINK OR IMAGINE—SO OUR JOB IS TO JOIN HIM WHERE HE IS WORKING—FOLLOW LEADING OF HOLY SPIRIT—EVEN PAUL & HIS MISSION TEAM WERE PROHIBTED FROM ENTERING CERTAIN AREAS IN SHARING THE GOSPEL---WHEN PAUL GOT VISISON OF MAN IN MACEDONIA THEY WENT ON---TO DO GODS PLAN WITH GODS POWER.

III.           DAVID’S DESIRE TO “DWELL” IN GODS PRESENCE

DAVID HEARD NATHAN’S WORDS  & HE “SAT BEFORE THE LORD”—THE WORD SAT IS TO DWELL OR REMAIN OR ABIDE. THIS WAS A PROLONGED TIME—WHEN DAVID FOCUSED ON GOD (EX: WE KNOW ITS HARD TO GET SMALL KIDS TO SIT DOWN ANY TIME—WONT DO IT ON THEIR OWN UNLESS SICK) SOMETIMES ITS HARD FOR US TO BE STILL BEFORE GOD. WE THINK BEING ON THE MOVE IS MORE HOLY.  BUT DAVID STOPS EVERYTHING ELSE & CONCENTRATES ON GODS GOODNESS/GREATNESS—ITS ALL THROUGH THIS PRAYER. NOW NOTICE SOMETHING ELSE (THANKS TO FRANK VIOLA) THE MAIN TABERNACLE IS IN GIBEON (1 CHRON.2`:29) BUT ASK ISNT THERE AND SO NEITHER IS GOD BECAUSE’S PRESENCE WAS OVER THE MERCY SEAT OF THE ARK.  AFTER DAVID TOOK JERUSALEM HE WANTED TO BRING ARK IN---DAVID’S TENT OR TABERNACLE  (2 SAM.6:17; ACTS 15:16 )—SO ARK IS HOUSED IN DAVID’S TENT FOR SEVERAL YRS—NOT IN TABERNACLE—TABERNALCE OF MOSES IN GIBEON AND ARK ON MT. ZION. PRIESTS DOING THEIR THING IN GIBEON---BUT THERE IS NO LIFE THERE—ONLY SHELL---BUT DAVID HAS  UNHINDERED WORSHIP BEFORE THE LORD.  THERE IS SINGING & LIFE & JOY—THERE IS NO CURTAIN HERE—WORSHIP IS BOLD & OPEN—THERE IS NO FEAR---WORSHIP IS CONSTANT (PS.134:1) THIS IS LIKELY TIME WHEN DAVID WROTE MANY PSALMS (PS.61:4; 63:7) “WINGS” IS REF. CHERIBUM ON THE ARK—HERE IS GLIMPSE OF FUTURE GLORY.  JESUS CONQUERED SIN/DEATH & CURTAIN IS GONE & WE COME BOLDLY TO THRONE OF GRACE & OFFER SACRIFICES OF PRAISE (HEB.113:15)  (2 COR.3:17,18)

NOW DAVID DOESN’T CARE ABOUT GOD CANCELLING HIS PLANS –HIS HEART IS DRAWN TO GODS REVELATION TO HIM—HIS PROMISES—GOODNESS—GRACE. NOW DAVID REALIZES HE IS JUST A SERVANT—ALL HE HAS OR ALL HE DOES IS FROM GOD (V.21,22)—THEN IN V.25 HE BOLDLY ASKS GOD TO KEEP HIS PROMISES---ITS ALL ABOUT GOD & HIS PURPOSES (ITS WHAT WE MUST REALIZE TOO!)  GOD REDEEMED HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE TO MAKE HIS NAME GREAT (V.25)—PRAYER IS AN AWESOME PRIVILEGE AS WE COME INTO PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD. WE ENCOUNTER HIM & HIS POWER THRU THE WORD & SPIRIT. GOD DESIRES THOSE WHO COME TO HIM IN SPIRIT & TRUTH. WE RESPOND TO HIS LOVE & GRACE. WE PRAISE & LISTEN. THE SPIRIT MAY REVEAL A SIN WE NEED TO CONFESS & REPENT OF OR SOMETHING WE NEED TO OBEY.  RICK WARREN IN HIS PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE SAYS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE IS GREATER THAN YOUR PERSONAL FULFILLMENT OR HAPPINESS—IT GREATER THAN YOUR FAMILY/CAREER/DREAMS—IT ALL BEGINS WITH GOD

ITS NOT UP TO US TO BUILD GOD A HOUSE TO DWELL IN. ITS GODS PURPOSE TO BUILD A HOUSE FOR US—A FAMILY OF FAITH WHERE WE CAN FIND FORGIVENESS/ACCEPTANCE & STRENGTH FOR EACH DAY.  EPH.3:20—YES WE WILL SIN & BE SUBJECT TO CONSEQUENCES BUT THAT IS NOT THE END. GOD LOVES US “NEVERTHELESS”—ITS NOT ABOUT A LEGALISTIC GOSPEL IN HOW MUCH WE DO FOR GOD BUT HOW MUCH WE ALLOW GOD TO DO FOR & IN US. SO GOD HAS BUILT A HOSUE FOR US. WHEN THE DISCIPLES WERE SORROWFUL THAT JESUS WAS LEAVING THEM. HE TOLD THEM NOT TO FEAR OR BE ANXIOUS.  “IN MY FATHERS HOUSE ARE MANY ROOMS—I AM GOING TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU (JN.14:1-3)  CONTINUE TO WATCH & PRAY UNTIL HE COMES AGAIN TO BRING US TO THE FATHER.