A Faithful Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Welcome/Prayer
Today, in 2 Samuel 7:18-29, we will read a prayer of David… and be encouraged not only in how we ought pray, but also in how we ought to live…
Grab a Bible - turn there
In David’s response we see three things…
Good News humbles us...
Good News leads us to praise God...
In light of our understanding of who we are in regard to God, then our perspective towards others changes...
Let’s go ahead and read David’s prayer.... 2 Samuel 7:18-29
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. 25 And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”
Humility
Humility
After hearing the news of the promise of God given to David… notice the first action of David… even before he starts praying…
He desires to speak with God… to be in the presence of God (an act of humility, not pride)
Now, humility is an identity issue… right?
What or how we think about ourselves directly impacts whether or not we are prideful or humble…
Identity of David
Who is David? (18)
A shepherd boy brought from a pasture (8)
Who are we?
Sinners - brought from darkness to light
Col 1:13-14
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
As such, we are children of God, we are co-heirs with Christ Rom 8:12-17
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
This is far more significant than a shepherd boy being made a king…
And we, unlike David, we get to enjoy the Kingdom of God in a way David never did...
Ponder that… reckon with that.. then reckon it with you how you live...
Understanding that nothing is hidden from God…
… just as it was with David (20)
God granted David this promise in light of God’s knowledge of who David is...
All of David’s intentions, motives, sins, all of it is known to God…
Let’s read a psalm by David that highlights this reality of how well God knew David… and how well God knows us...
Psalm 139:1-18
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
Yet, in light of this knowledge David trusts the Lord… v. 23-24
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
God gave the Davidic Covenant to David, fully knowing David’s sin with Bathsheba… and Uriah...
Likewise, God calls us into the light fully knowing the sins you and I have made and will make...
And we must understand this… as David does in v. 27… we need to trust the revealed words of God and live in that confidence...
For us…
When God says “It is Finished”… it is finished...
There is no need to hold a mass or partake of a Catholic mass to get right before God...
There is no need for indulgences… the forgiven have no fear of punishment from God for their sins, so there is no need to work or pay off any guilt...
There is no need to be re-baptized…
There is no need to be re-born-again… once saved… always saved...
You are not that great that any sin you may commit is too great for the Son of God to pay for it 2000 years ago… even after you are saved...
We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone… any other gospel is one borne out of Hell and leads to Hell
This truth… is humbling… b/c we have no part in it… just as a baby has no say in being conceived… and does nothing to make it happen… so it was with those who are born from above (John 3)
This leads us to praise God… as it did with David.
Praise
Praise
When we ponder the Gospel and all that it entails for us… just as David pondered the Davidic Covenant and all it entailed for him and others… it highlights six aspects of God’s will and character that we, like David did, ought to praise.
Now, we do not, when we pray, have to highlight each of these facets of God’s nature in prayer… this is merely descriptive… however, we should and ought to praise Him in some manner and if you struggle in that area… these six should help you
God’s Greatness (19)
This promise to David - though a big thing to David is a small thing to God
All of our prayers are small things to God… not insignificant… but easy, simple for Him… but yet significant… that’s part of the wonder
Like a child who weeps because they can’t zip their jacket, but then mom or dad come along and zips it like its nothing… a small thing… but the parent knows it’s a big thing to the child.
If you want to weep before God because you can’t zip your jacket weep… but when God zips your jacket you better be ready to go outside with Him.
God’s Knowledge (19 & 20)
The future of Mankind
And David Himself
There’s nothing that goes in on this world outside of God’s knowledge…
We can place our trust with Him… knowing He is great… He is good… though it may shock us it does not Him...
He knows what is happening now and He knows what will happen Hab 1:5
5 “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
God’s Faithfulness and Sovereign Will (power) (21)
This promise to David was given not because of David...
But b/c God willed it… for His glory
God redeems us for the same reason… for His glory… b/c of His will… not b/c of you or I… or anything we bring to the table...
No celebrity status needed
No wealth or riches necessary
No skill or competence required
Only the grace and will of God
This should humble us… this should keep things in right perspective…
We are mere ants in an ant farm… not ants in the yard… but in a contained environment controlled by God… totally and utterly dependent on Him
God’s uniqueness (22)
There is no other god like our God… like Yahweh, like Jesus
Still true today and will continue to be true
There is no other name higher than the name of Jesus Christ...
No other god, no other king…
No other religion, no other means of salvation
God is clear… there is no confusion for mankind to whom they are to submit themselves too… there is no other god like the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Therefore, we are to treat God holy like He is… and not give ourselves over to other gods… idols… we would be wise to be mindful how we steward our time, our energy, and our money...
Now, the final two aspects of which David praises are tightly connected, and the sixth one really is the culmination of the first five… so the fifth aspect is God’s Purpose (25, 28-29) followed by the sixth which is the glory of God… or better yet that the glory of God be magnified v. 26
David asked God to do His will… as revealed… in doing so David is essentially asking God to glorify Himself…
This is similar to Jesus in the garden… praying that if there is any other way let it be so… but if He must go to the cross, if He must endure what lies ahead… let the Father’s will be done…
Whenever God acts it brings Him glory…
Whenever God uses us for His will He is glorified…
When we submit ourselves to His will and ask Him to make it happen, He is glorified… He is praised...
And He will give us what we need to endure...
David in his desire to see God’s glorious will fulfilled, requests the blessing of God upon his house in v. 29, so that this may happen…
David recognizes that just as God brought this shepherd boy to the throne that it will take the power of God to fulfill the Davidic Covenant
And so it is with any calling by God
You want to be used by God… then do His will
Don’t know what His will is… get into the Word....
Join a life group, become part of the Men’s Group… go to our weekly prayer meeting...
Get involved...
Peace, contentment, satisfaction, purpose… in this life… all of those are found in glory of God… not outside… anything found outside the glory of God is fleeting, futile, empty… at worst damning and at best pointless
You and I… when we are filled with the Spirit as we submit ourselves to Him… we glorify this magnificent, majestic, awesome, holy, one of a kind God… the One whom all things were created from...
Clearly, when we praise God and consider who He is… that in itself is humbling… God first humbles us by His grace… then He humbles us by who He is… and because of the humility God teaches us and because of how wonderful and magnificent He is… we then get a perspective to care for others...
Perspective
Perspective
David in the midst of his prayer mentions Israel… God’s people… and praises them… why?
They belong to God (23) and they were established by God (24)
Therefore, they deserve praise and prayer… not for anything they have done or accomplished… simply b/c God has chosen them
Likewise, the same goes for the bride of Christ...
God has chosen for Himself a bride to give to His Son…
A church, an assembly of people called out of & from the bondage of darkness and sin… like Israel out of Egypt...
A group of people established by the power of God… not man...
Therefore, when we gather on Sundays… or when we prioritize our time during the week, we give special care to those who are part of the church.
We care for those whom God has chosen to love and to call His own...
Not b/c of what they can give us...
Not b/c of what they bring to the table...
But just like us… they bring nothing to the table
They have nothing to offer God… yet… God loved them… and likewise we love them… for we are them.
Yes, we may play a different role, a different part within the body of Christ… but we are all part of the same body...
When one part hurts, we all hurt… when one rejoices, we all rejoice...
To love one another, as Jesus tells us to is fundamental to our DNA...
But if we forget our place… if we forget our identity… where we came from… and who brought us from there to here… then we lose our perspective...
This isn’t much unlike Israel… and what we see in the OT...
Consistently God tells His people, remember where you once came from… remember who brought you out of Egypt… don’t lose that perspective.... don’t lose sight of who I am… and you know who I am by what I have done for you...
Likewise, may we be careful to consider the work of God in our life… and in doing so, may we be humbled… may we give God His due praise… and may we love one another in light of that truth.
In this, all obedience flows… beginning with baptism...
How can a believer, acknowledging what God has done for them, willfully, say no to the command of baptism?
It is the simplest and most basic of all commands, yet at the same time, it is one of the most significant...
From there the whole Christian life is sprung forth… baptism is then used as a reminder to us, that as Israel passed through the Red Sea as God delivered them from the bondage of Egypt… God has delivered us from the bondage of sin… thus we ought to live our lives holy as He is holy...
It is in this truth that we come to the Lord’s Table… which not only serves as a reminder of these truths… but also as an opportunity for us to demonstrate to one another and to witness to the world our willingness to submit ourselves to God’s will… regardless of the cost and sacrifice He may ask of us, or what the world may demand of us...
So, as we ponder the work of Christ in our lives… a right and proper response is one of humility, that leads us to be in God’s presence, to pray to God...
In doing so, we confess who we are... sinners… who are forgiven by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ...
And we praise Him for that truth, for that work, and for all that He has done and says He will do...
And then we remember those who are like us, of whom He has called to be part of His church…