IF YOU BUILD IT...He will come --how many of you saw the movie, Field of Dreams? I spent my early childhood days tagging behind my Dad who played sandlot baseball with the greats who made it into the Negro league like Sachel Paige...I loved those days. Field of Dreams was one man's vision and dream about returning to his first love, baseball.

This morning’s message is taken from 1 Kings 3:3-14, reading from the Message Bible, “Solomon loved God and continued to live in the God-honoring ways of David his father, except that he also worshiped at the local shrines, offering sacrifices and burning incense. The king went to Gibeon the most prestigious of the local shrines to worship. He sacrificed a thousand whole burnt offerings on that altar. That night there in Gibeon, God appeared to Solomon in a dream: God said, what can I give you? Ask. Solomon said, you were extravagantly generous in love with my father David and he lived faithfully in your presence, his relationships were just and his heart right. And you have persisted in this great and generous love by giving him this very day a son to sit on his throne. And now here I am. God, my God you have made me, your servant, ruler of the kingdom in place of David my father. I’m too young for this, a mere child! I don’t know the ropes, hardly know the ins and outs of this job. And here I am, set down in the middle of the people you have chosen, a great people, far too many to ever count. Here’s what I want: give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people? God, the master was delighted with Solomon’s response.

And God said to him, because you have asked for this and haven’t grasped after a long life or riches, or the doom of your enemies, but you have asked for the ability to lead and govern well, I’ll give you what you asked for…I’m giving you a wise and mature heart. There’s never been one like you before, and there will be no one after. As a bonus, I’m giving you both the wealth and glory you didn’t ask for —there is not a king anywhere who will come up to your mark.And if you stay the course, keeping your eye on the life map and the God-signs as your father David did, I’ll also give you a long life.”

1 Kings draws our attention to the life and leadership of Israel’s king, Solomon, King David’s son.

Not only was Solomon wise beyond his years, but Solomon ruled in a like manner that left an impression on people near and far. There are nine points that I’d like to highlight on this theme of “if you build it they will come” or the notion of Kingdom living.

“Kingdom living”is a life-style that is honorable and dependable. A dependence that is fully on God.

Matthew 6;25:“Do not worry about your life. For the same God who created the life in you can be trusted with the details of your life.

Kingdom my friends is living a life full of passion…you are passionate about how you live and your’re passion is not just kept on a shelf but visible to all who know you. Yet passion is not without mercy. The mercy given to you from God that you invariably share with all those who know you as well.

The best of kingdom living can be taken from the 9 fruits of the spirit…found in the book of Galatians; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Righteous Citizens of the Kingdom manifest this culture in the way they walk, talk, dress, their eating habits, values, morals, and even their sense of self-worth and self-concept.

I believe Solomon knew something about kingdom living… The believer will find contentment and awe as the Queen of Sheba did when she first me the king. Her words were: “Until I came and saw with my own eyes not even the half had been told me, your wisdom and wealth surpass the reports that I heard.”

Yet there are other challenges that God wants us to pursue and oftentimes we loose sight of the prize…The Apostle Paul had these same concerns as he sought to plant a church in Galatia. He said it so well that we Christians miss the point! So many of us are working at the wrong end of the relationship with God- “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

God gives grace…unmerited, unconditional grace. By God sending his son forth, to redeem those who were under the law, he did it that we might receive adoption as sons.

THAT’S it…Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all else will be added unto you.

kingdom living isn’t learning how to balance the budget…or works righteousness, No its making room for God to use you.

I believe SOLOMON’s success began that way. Trusting fully in God, AND if you continue to read 1 Kings you will see instances when the people came to him for arbitration. The case with the two harlots…they argued over who was the real mother of an infant child. Notice how Solomon handled it in chapter 3:16-18

“Two prostitutes showed up before the king. The one woman said, My master, this woman and in the same house. While we were living together, I had a baby. Three days after I gave birth this woman also had a baby. We were alone…there wasn’t anyone else in the house except for the two of us. The infant son of this woman died one night when she rolled over on him in her sleep, she got up in the middle of the night and took my son…I was sound asleep mind you. and put him at her breast and put the dead son at my breast. I looked at him in the morning light, I saw immediately that he wasn’t my baby. Not so said the other woman. The living one’s mine, the dead ones yours. The first woman encountered, no, your sons the dead one; mines the living one…they went back and forth this way in front of the king.

The king said , what are we to do? The woman says, the living son is mine and the dead one is yours. and this woman says the living son is mine and the dead one is yours. After a moment the king said, bring me a sword.

Then he said, cut the living baby in two..give half to one and half to the other. The real mother of the living baby was overcome with emotion for her son and said, Oh no master, give her the whole baby alive, don’t kill him.

The other one said, if I can’t have him, you can’t have him. cut away!

Then the king made his decision…give the living baby to the first woman. Nobody is going to kill this baby. She is the real mother.

Good news travels fast...everyone in Israel heard of the king’s judgment. they were all in awe of the king.

Solomon’s wisdom did not come by HAPPENSTANCE…NO...WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU…the Prophet MICAH SAID in 6:8 “PEOPLE ARE TO ACT JUSTLY, LOVE MERCY, AND WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD.” HEED THE ROD AND THE ONE WHO APPOINTED IT.

My friends Don’t give up or give in on yourselves, Jesus said, Let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in me…in other words, DON’T THROW IN THE TOWEL --For where there are two or three gathered in His name, there I am in the midst.

Don’t get weary in doing good, don’t allow the past to rob you of our future.

As I close: I want to leave you with the words of this popular song, I’m only human, I’m just a layman, Lord help me believe, in what I can be and all that I am. Show me the stairway that I have to climb, Lord for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time…Lord for oursake, teach us to take one day at a time. Amen