"A Life Worth Remembering"
Notes
Transcript
Have you ever thought about what people would say about you once you die?
Proposition - As we look to our text this morning we are going to look at a life that is worth remembering.
Interrogative Question - What are some ways you could reject the harmful influences of the world around you?
👉 What kind of life actually matters to God?
I. A Life Anchored in the Word - vs. 1-4
I. A Life Anchored in the Word - vs. 1-4
1 Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse declares, The man who was raised on high declares, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel, 2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. 3 “The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘He who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God, 4 Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, When the tender grass springs out of the earth, Through sunshine after rain.’
David’s last words were not about success, fame, or power. They are about God speaking through him.
“The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me…” (v. 2)
A life worth living is built on God’s truth (that is the Bible), not your feelings.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
David know the following:
God’s Word is authoritative
God’s Word is life-giving
God’s Word is guiding
Teenagers are told:
“Follow your heart”
“Do what feels right”
But Scripture says:
👉 Follow God’s Word, not your emotions.
Illustration: GPS vs. Guessing
Imagine trying to drive somewhere new:
One person uses GPS
The other says, “I’ll just guess”
Who gets there?
God’s Word is your spiritual GPS.
Without it, you will get lost—even if you feel confident.
Are you listening to God’s Word daily?
Or are you just following your mood?
II. A Life Established by God’s Grace and Mercy - vs. 5
II. A Life Established by God’s Grace and Mercy - vs. 5
5 “Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all my desire, Will He not indeed make it grow?
“Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me…”
David admits something powerful:
👉 His life wasn’t great because he was perfect
👉 It was great because God was faithful
A life worth remembering depends on God’s grace, not your performance.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise. 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18 By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.
David:
Failed morally (2 Samuel 11)
Made serious mistakes
Yet God:
Forgave him
Restored him
Used him
Illustration: A Cracked Phone Screen
Think of a phone with a cracked screen:
Still works
Still valuable
Still usable
Your life may feel “cracked” by sin or failure.
But God doesn’t throw you away—
He redeems and restores you.
Are you trying to earn God’s approval?
Or trusting in His grace?
III. A Life Marked by Courage and Commitment to the Lord - vs. 8-39
III. A Life Marked by Courage and Commitment to the Lord - vs. 8-39
8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time; 9 and after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn. 10 He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain. 11 Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory. 13 Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!” 16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord; 17 and he said, “Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did. 18 Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three. 19 He was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three. 20 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. 21 He killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. 23 He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.
The rest of the chapter lists David’s mighty men.
These weren’t famous kings — They were faithful warriors.
Examples:
One fought until his hand froze to the sword (v. 10)
Three risked their lives just to get David water (vv. 15–17)
A life worth honoring is one of faithfulness in the small and hard things.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.
3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Illustration: The Bench Player
In sports:
Everyone notices the star player
But teams depend on players who:
Show up to practice
Do the hard work
Stay committed
God notices faithfulness, not popularity.
These men:
Weren’t chasing attention
Were loyal even when it was hard
Risked everything out of devotion
👉 That’s the kind of life God honors.
Are you faithful when no one is watching?
Do you stand for Christ even when it’s hard?
IV. A Life That Rejects the Ways of the World - vs. 6-7
6 “But the worthless, every one of them will be thrust away like thorns, Because they cannot be taken in hand; 7 But the man who touches them Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear, And they will be completely burned with fire in their place.”
David contrasts the righteous with the “worthless men.”
You cannot live for God and hold on to sin.
1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Illustration: Poison in a Drink
If someone gave you a drink:
99% good
1% poison
Would you drink it?
Sin works the same way:
Looks small
Seems harmless
But destroys
What sin are you tolerating?
What needs to be cut out of your life?
SO WHAT?
What Will Your Life Say?
What does your life say right now?
2 Samuel 23 is about legacy.
David’s life teaches us:
A Life Worth Remembering Is:
Anchored in God’s Word
Established by God’s Grace and Mercy
Marked by Faithfulness
Separated from Sin
Final Challenge -
Right now—you are writing your story.
Not later.
Not someday.
👉 Right now.
So ask yourself:
What am I building my life on?
Who am I becoming?
Would my life honor God if it ended today?
13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
