When God Redirects Our Focus
Personal Lessons in Corporate Crisis • Sermon • Submitted
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· 24 viewsThere are some lessons that we need to learn in times of corporate crisis.
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When God Redirects Our Focus
1 Chronicles 21:1-30
1 Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.
2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?”
4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab traveled throughout all Israel to count the people. Then he returned to Jerusalem
5 and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah.
6 But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do.
7 God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it.
8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.”
9 Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer. This was the message:
10 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’ ”
11 So Gad came to David and said, “These are the choices the Lord has given you.
12 You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.”
13 “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”
14 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result.
15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground.
17 And David said to God, “I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.”
18 Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19 So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him through Gad.
20 Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid.
21 When Araunah saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground.
22 David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”
23 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.”
24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!”
25 So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor.
26 David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar.
27 Then the Lord spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath.
28 When David saw that the Lord had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah’s threshing floor.
29 At that time the Tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of burnt offering that Moses had made in the wilderness were located at the place of worship in Gibeon.
30 But David was not able to go there to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of the Lord.
INTRODUCTION:
I- RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR A REALITY CHECK (1 Chronicles 21:1-8)
I- RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR A REALITY CHECK (1 Chronicles 21:1-8)
A- We must recognize when we have become self-focused instead of God-focused.
A- We must recognize when we have become self-focused instead of God-focused.
(1 Chronicles 21:1-7)
(1 Chronicles 21:1-7)
1 Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.
2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord increase the number of his people a hundred times over! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this? Are they not all your servants? Why must you cause Israel to sin?”
4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab traveled throughout all Israel to count the people. Then he returned to Jerusalem
5 and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah.
6 But Joab did not include the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census because he was so distressed at what the king had made him do.
7 God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it.
1- When we become focused on our greatness, rather than God’s greatness, we are headed for trouble.
a. David’s focus was on his own greatness as a king and leader. (1 Chronicles 21:1-2)
(1) As a result, Satan had the upper hand in tempting David in an act of arrogance.
b. David was warned by Joab that he was headed to sin. (1 Chronicles 21:3)
(1) In fact, David’s rebellion was going to lead Israel into sin.
c. David rejected wise counsel and followed the path of prideful rebellion. (1 Chronicles 21: 4-5)
4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab traveled throughout all Israel to count the people. Then he returned to Jerusalem
5 and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah.
(1) David refused to listen to Joab and sent him to count warriors.
(2) The numbers were impressive to David - Gave him boasting rights and pride level.
(a) He should have been focused on following God’s lead, as in times before.
Where to move to in Judah (2 Samuel 2:1-4)
1 After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes,” the Lord replied. Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?” “To Hebron,” the Lord answered.
2 David’s two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives
3 and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.
4 Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah. When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul,
When he was being confronted by Philistines (2 Samuel 5:17-20, 22-25)
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold.
18 The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim.
19 So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”
20 So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “The Lord did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”).
22 But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim.
23 And again David asked the Lord what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees.
24 When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.”
25 So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
(b) He should have been focused on God’s greatness and blessing like before.
As when he wanted to build the temple. (2 Samuel 7:18-25)
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?
19 And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?
20 “What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord.
21 Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.
22 “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!
23 What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.
24 You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.
25 “And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.
B- We must Recognize, confess and repent of our sin.
B- We must Recognize, confess and repent of our sin.
(1 Chronicles 21:8-17)
1- We must recognize that sin displeases God. (1 Chronicles 21:7)
7 God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it.
2- We must confess our sin and own its consequences. (1 Chronicles 21:8-15)
8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.”
9 Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer. This was the message:
10 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’ ”
11 So Gad came to David and said, “These are the choices the Lord has given you.
12 You may choose three years of famine, three months of destruction by the sword of your enemies, or three days of severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation throughout the land of Israel. Decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.”
13 “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”
14 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result.
15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
3- We must readily repent of our sin and rebellion against God. (1 Chronicles 21: 16-17)
16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground.
17 And David said to God, “I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people.”
II- RESPOND WITH COMPLETE COMMITMENT AND SURRENDER (1 Chronicles 21:18-30)
II- RESPOND WITH COMPLETE COMMITMENT AND SURRENDER (1 Chronicles 21:18-30)
A- Listen for God’s instructions. (1 Chronicles 21:18)
A- Listen for God’s instructions. (1 Chronicles 21:18)
18 Then the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
1- Once David had recognized, confessed and repented of his sin, he was listening for God’s instructions to avert the judgement of God.
2- We need to be seeking God’s direction to bring about renewal in our relationship with God.
B- Completely obey God’s instructions (1 Chronicles 21:19)
B- Completely obey God’s instructions (1 Chronicles 21:19)
19 So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him through Gad.
1- David moved into action to carry out what God had shown him to do.
2- We need to be ready to take whatever action God has shown us.
C- Refuse to short-sell commitment in the performance of service. (1 Chronicles 21:20-28)
C- Refuse to short-sell commitment in the performance of service. (1 Chronicles 21:20-28)
20 Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, turned and saw the angel there. His four sons, who were with him, ran away and hid.
21 When Araunah saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground.
22 David said to Araunah, “Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”
23 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, and the threshing boards for wood to build a fire on the altar, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you.”
24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!”
25 So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor.
26 David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar.
27 Then the Lord spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath.
28 When David saw that the Lord had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah’s threshing floor.
1- David immediately sought to buy the threshing floor.
2- David refused to accept it as a gift or to take it at a reduced price!
(a) 600 pieces of gold for the property (1 Chronicles 21:25)
(b) 50 pieces of silver for the oxen and tools ( 2 Samuel 24:24)
(c) full Price!
3- David made the initial offering, then subsequent offerings.
4- This was costly commitment.
5- Don’t give the Lord only partial commitment!
CONCLUSION: