Seize the Day

This morning we will take a few moments to look at God’s covenant with David. I feel that we need to go here this morning on our first Sunday in 2021 because we need to be reminded of the things God has called us to, the things God has promised us and to hear His direction we are going in .

It is not about our agenda but His agenda.

There have been many people noted in history who have had big dreams. They have been noted as dreamers.

George Lucas best know for creating and producing Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Elon Musk the man who cofounded electronic payment platform PayPal.

Walt Disney a pioneer in animantion and imaginerring .

These are some examples of people who seized the day. They had a dream and no matter what obstacles they faced they pushed through in order to ensure their dream was attained.

You and I can dream big dreams just like these examples I listed to you this morning.

It is one thing to invest your life in a magic kingdom but it is quite another to play a part in the kingdom of God.

As followers of God we can cultivate dreams for our lives that outlast the world, transforms time, changes eternity and advances His cause, kingdom and for His glory.

We get to be part of that, doesn’t that excite you?

The Bible is filled with people who saw what life could look like in God’s kingdom & move forward in faith.

Abraham - there would be a great nation from his lineage yet he was childless

Moses - would be used to free Israel from bondage when they were slave making brick makers

Joshua - envisioned a occupied land

Samson - a defeated enemy

David - a temple on a hill

Nehemiah - built miles of reconstructed walls in his prayers before a single stone was laid

Daniel - glimpsed future kingdom

Peter - an established church

Paul - a global mission

God wants to do the same with us.

We need to

Stay focused

Let go of the past

Move forward in the future

Let’s take a look at our text:

2 Samuel 7:1–17 NLT

When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!” Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.” But that same night the Lord said to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?” ’ “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. “ ‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’ ” So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

This scripture has so much to say here to us this morning. This chapter is the climax of evets, Jerusalem had been conquered, the Philistines had been defeated and the ark had been enshrined in a tent.

Our text is a text of victory but I believe what we need to pay attention to here is the tie between bringing the ark to Jerusalem and David’s desire to build a permanent home for the ark.

Two questions are raised here:

What is the future of the Jerusalm shrine?

Who would be David’s successor on the throne of Israel?

We do get the answers but first let’s look back at chapter 7 for some background. Chapter 7 introduces the prohet Nathan, who appears three times in scriptures. His last appearance is at the accession of Solomon to the throne in 1 Kings 1 and this is also where Nathan reminded David of God’s intention, which is also in this chapter.

The second time we see Nathan is when he confronts David with God’s displeasure over his relationship with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 12).

Nathan presents two oracles from God to David. David wants to build a house for God but instead God intends to build David’s house.

This morning we are reminded that we may have plans and our plans may have good intentions but God is the one who is in control and we need to yield to His power always.

Stay Focused

We see here that David is blessed and has been afforded rest from God from all of his enemies. Life is good for David. David wants to honor God for these many blessings.

It is a wonderful thing to dream and do isn’t it? It is a wonderful thing to dream of doing something to honor God.

In David’s case it is the first time since coming to the throne that he has been in a position to do something that has been on his heart for a while.

David was established in his house and secure from the Philistine enemies.

Let’s face it when life is good we get comfortable. Often rather than using our stability as a base from which to do good people often focus on themselves in effort to become more established and secure.

David was in a place in his life where he wanted to use time, resources and knowledge to honor God.

David was focused.

David was very conscious of God’s presence in his life.

One of the things that caused him to delcare his interest and intention to Nathan was the difference in where he lived and where the ark of the covenant was housed.

He was living in a beautiful house of cedar, built for him as a gift from Hiram, the king of Tyre (2 Sam. 5:11-12). He was living in the lap pf luxury and the ark of the covenant (which was known as the ark of God) dwell in a tent.

He felt that he needed to do this to honor God. God’s house should be better than his house.

The ark was in a tent because it was mobile and could be moved with the people. But David felt that now that things have settled in his life and things more established the way to honor God best would be to built a temple.

But that was not God’s plan.

Let go of the past

I love what David’s intentions are stating here. He wants to ensure that God’s place is first in his life. That is honorable. But when we try to go ahead and do something for God in our own way we loose sight of how we are supposed to live. We need to live walking in His will.

We often think that we can do things under the heading well we have always done things this way and get away with it.

Hear me this morning, I honor our past and thank God for our rich heritage but we are not going to most forward if we let our path forward be due to that’s how we have always done it.

That’s a far cry from seeking God’s will for us isn’t it?

God responded to David’s offer through the prophet Nathan.

David was not permitted by God to build the temple but His son Solomon would be the temple builder and would ascend the throne after David.

These are two heavy blows to the ego so to speak.

I am sure we would be disappointed and reactive.

Would we sulk about it?

Complain?

State our status as King?

Come on now be honest. The thing we often do when we don’t get things to go our way is get upset, pout or complain. We like for things to go our way.

Then here is God telling David that he cannot build the temple but he can plan and prepare all he wanted for it.

Some may say well if I am not good enough to build it I am not not going to be a part of this at all good luck to ya!

It was obvious that in David’s heart the house of the Lord was important.

1 Chronicles 22:5 NLT

David said, “My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the Lord must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death.

David did not state the past victories and honors of his past. He didn’t remind anyone that he was entitled to do the job and should be his honor. Bottom line his desire was to honor God. He let go of the past, he wanted to honor God’s will, God’s leading.

We too should do this.

The house of God should be of maximum importance to every child of God.

1 Timothy 3:15 NLT

so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

We should want all the people on the earth to know the church’s head and the church’s role in God’s saving plan and not get caught up in our own personal agendas.

At the end of the day we are called to make sure it is His name and His kingdom that is increased not ours!

Ephesians 5:23 NLT

For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.

Move forward in the Future

David did prep work for the temple build. He did more than just prepare he prepared abundantly.

We too should work for God with all our might to ensure that He is honored in the way He should be.

We can learn a lot from David’s mindet and work ethic. He worked diligently for the Lord’s house, putting forward his best effort and doing so for the Lord’s glory and not his own.

David also encouraged Solomon in his efforts to build the temple. This to me says alot about David as a leader. Even though he didn’t get to do this, even though this was a dream of his, he still support the project and encouraged his son in the process.

Church this is also a good lesson for us.

There are often things that we don’t like, understand or fully feel informed on in the life of the church. But rather than being negative, unsupportive or talking about it among each other.

Help prepare, get in on the plan, support leadership.

David did not get to lead the temple’s actual construction but he can encourage the one who will do the building!

David also arranged for others to support Solomon in the temple’s construction.

1 Chronicles 22:17 NLT

Then David ordered all the leaders of Israel to assist Solomon in this project.

1 Chronicles 22:19 NLT

Now seek the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. Build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that you can bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the Lord’s name.”

David cared, really cared about the temple and he encouraged others to have the same mindset. We too can be a positive influence by “talking up” the Lord’s work and one another.

David cared about kingdom efforts more than his own agenda. I believe this is an example we are called to follow.

David’s approach influenced others in a positive way.

1 Chronicles 29:9 NIV

The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

Conclusion:

My friends this morning as we conclude this message I want you to hear the challenge clearly here there are two kinds of people:

People people of influence or people of weakness.

A person of weakness would be characterized as a powerbroker trying to push things through to support their own agenda. Not there to support to end goal which is to honor the church moving forward together in a unified and loving manner.

When you gossip, complain, fret and go against which causes division, chaos and pain.

People of influence hold up the hands of coworkers knowing that the end goal to the common agenda. To work together to bring glory to God and not to oneself. The agenda is God’s!

David’s efforts and his response to this affected generations to come.

How you and I act, lead and carry about affects our friends, family, neighbours and the testimony of our church from years to come.

So this morning as we go into a time of communion surrender your will and make His will yours. Declare this morning that this year will be a year that we will walk together at Faith unified, with love and togetherness to build this church for the furtherence of His Kingdom.

Let’s let go of past problems, hurts and pain. Let’s stay focused on the goal which is to reach others for Christ. To support one another as a family of God. To love and care deeply, honestly and humbly about our brothers and sisters.

David did not fight against God’s will when God said he would not build the temple.

David did not murmur against the One who told Him no.

David did not threaten to “quit” (leave the church,m tithe elsewhere etc) the Lord’s service.

David did not begin to pout and seek sympathy from others trying to portray himself as a pitiful, unappreciated victim. He kept working for God.

Will you?

David did not go on a campaign to precent the temple’s construction. He did not torpedo the efforts of others to build the temple. In fact, he gave his full support to the building of the temple his dream though he would not be the one to lead the building process.

When one door was closed to him he chose to serve in another way.

When we have our heart set on serving in some way in the kingdom but it doesn’t work out that way, let’s search for other ways to serve!

God can still use humble people who are willing to serve.

Open doors are waiting!