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When God says No!
When God says No!
Intro: Great test in life is how we handle “shattered expectations”
Times we bring our desires to God. Sometimes He says yes, other times he say’s later, and then other times He says NO...
Q. What do you do when God says No?
Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.”
Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ” ’
since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house.
“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.
A. Text David desires to build God a house
1. Pinnacle of success / later years of life, He’s living in a nice place!
a. 2… the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.
b. God’s blessed David –…lives in a house of cedar, while Ark is in a tent…
= David: I would like to bless him, build him a house!
2. Not always the case = Some people “DO WELL”…”live in house of cedar”…but forget God
a. Parable sower – spring up “cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches” choke out the
word and it becomes unfruitful”.
3. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.
B. David’s Heart in right place – SINCERE…
1. Sincere: honest, without hypocrisy, pure and true.
2. Not everyone’s motives are sincere
a. Sinners prayer --- “mean from your heart
b. Sincere repentance: “Godly sorrow, Worldly sorrow” – one sorry got caught, other Sincere/broken – hurt the heart of God.
3. David sincere, good heart, unselfishly in his desire!
Error of sincerity – think it alone validates our will and our plans.
1. Doesn’t matter what you believe as long as your sincere.
a. Some sincere --- sincerely wrong / Jesus “I am the way the truth and the life, no man come’s to the Father except by me.”
--- Gospel “inclusive”…ALL can come…yet exclusive --- come His way…not many ways
b. Religions – Muslims, Mormons, JW’s --- dedicated, deceived, --- yet sincere!
2. Sincerity is not the measuring rod for truth
C. Truth: SOMETIMES GOD SAYS NO
1. He has the right of REFUSAL
--- God tells Nathan – go back, did I ask him to build me a house --- He won’t build, but Son will!
2. Times a NO…
a. Temporal --- in time, not now!
b. Permanent --- not delay, is a denial
c. Not how you desired
3. Sometimes WITHOUT EXPLANATION
a. Have to wrestle with / “why, why not” --- silent!
b. Sometimes --- explanation later
--- 1 Chron 28:3 But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’
--- David your man of war…not an architect
Factor into your walk for God --- Times God says “no”.
II. OUR RESPONSE
A. True measure of a person’s character is NOT found in the approvals of life, but the denials.
1. Man’s good at appeasing, putting on fronts…were good actors, smile etc, know when to say PTL.
a. Seemingly have proper Etiquette, Kindness, Loyalty
--- Until you say NO!
2. Never know what’s in a person’s heart until you tell them NO
a. Oliver – man --- wanted to plant, tell me about him…just got married, (traditional)
--- NO, don’t advise…wait / did and was planted year later!
b. TEST
3. Typical response: that of DISAPPOINTMENT – normal
a. Disappointment is where God works Character
b. Means prepare you for your future
B. Key issue – how we respond?
1. Some get bitter, twisted at the point of denial
a. JC – long as got what wanted…fine, but when refusal came…twisted
b. Cain’s offering – God says NO, not good enough, not what I desire – Murdered!
c. Ahab…Naboth’s vineyard “not for sale”…sullen and displeased.
d. Seed bed for rebellion, is bitterness…often caused by a NO
--- True measure of a person’s character – when one doesn’t get what they want.
2. Others FOCUS of life becomes WHY
a. Believers have become paralyzed in their walk with God – by a WHY?
--- how come that happened? / Why did God say NO?
b. Problem people put a question mark where God has put a period. --- spin out!
c. Beloved: Life is going to have Question Marks all thru it: "Where was God in tragedy?
If God is love, why don’t I feel Him? How come he got promoted over me? Why are sinners prospered and saints struggling???" etc., WHY GOD SAY NO??
d. God does 1,000 good things…we revolve around 1
David chose to focus on what God had allowed him to do
DAVIDS RESPONSE…
1. Accepts God’s will and worships
a. God is worthy, if He does nothing else for us
b. 2 Sam 7:18 Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me this far?
--- goes on “thou art great…thy name be magnified”
*** Worship brings the POG…
Rather than wallowing in self-pity or bitterness regarding his unfulfilled dream, David praised God with a grateful heart.
2. Serves God just as HARD as IF he gotten his own way
a. Spent years, time effort…gathering resources for Temple…Son would build
PT Still gave himself / others…draw back
--- Don’t get position etc…feel cannot contribute
--- Why should I still pray, faithful, give etc.
b. David --- stayed involved
c. David heard the Lord's "no" and quietly accepted it without resentment
3. Served the purpose of God in another’s life
a. John B – “I must decrease he must increase”
b. 1 Sam 18:3,4 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. ELAB
--- Jonathan Kings son – next in line…robe, weapons…LET ME HELP YOU
When able to REJOICE when another is blessed --- doing good.