August 14, 2022 - How to be a person after God's own heart

Earlier than normal, my normal. I've been noticing, I've been preaching about an hour and that's a little bit too long even for me. So,

We're going to keep it a little bit shorter today because I want to get the point home.

So, I don't know if you've noticed but there is a lot of us. Who will freely admit maybe not in public. But in personal conversation, there's a lots of us. The feel like we need to reignite our spiritual lives.

and if it's not, you, I want you to listen to what we say today. Because if you been out of this journey, any length of time, you know, You know, that there's going to be a time a season multiple Seasons when you're going to have to reignite.

In a weekend, be filled with Holy Spirit. We should be filled with Holy Spirit but we're actually designed to leak. I don't know if you ever caught that before. When were filled with God, he wants us to leak out all over the place. He wants us to give what we got all over the place. We leaked out naturally But we're also designed to be continually filled.

And when we aren't get, when we get out of that Rhythm, whether it's for a season whether it's because something has changed in our health or on our relationships or in our finances or awake, we get out of that rhythm of being continually filled.

Something doesn't feel right?

We can feel dry. We can fill empty. We can fill a loan. We can fill disregarded. It's not good, it's not but we're designed for.

Where does Zayn to walk with God? In the garden in the cool of the day?

And if we don't feel like that in our life right now, regardless of what circumstances happening, it's it's whatever is going on. We should be able to feel the joy and the hope and the peace that comes when we trust God with our whole heart.

When we aren't feel if we're not feeling that way, we know something needs to change. And that's what we're going to talk about today.

The good news is God's. Grace is sufficient. It is more than enough. He still stands at the door and knocks, and if we open the door, you will come and eat with us and us with him. He is still there wanting to us to abide in him. He will see us through. Let me start with fur.

Heavenly father, I pray that you do with us and help us today. I did hear your words and Lord to know your presence and to take your presence with us as we go, in your name, we pray. Amen.

Yeah, I skipped a whole bunch of stuff here but There's a verse in 1st Corinthians 15, where Paul says by the grace of God, I am what I am and is Greece. To me, is not without a fact. It was on Tuesday, I work harder than all of them because of God's grace was working through me. But that's what I want us to be able to say that God's grace. Was not without a fact because we all need his grace. We can't believe this life without his grace.

Want to talk about David today.

Cuz David was a man that God declared was a man after his own heart.

Did you know that David was a lawbreaker? Like, I bet you knew the big one, right? But look at, look at these other places I found where he broke the law. He he ate the bread. That was only for the priest, you're not supposed to do that Leviticus 24:9. You move the arc on a cart and it always needed to be carried. Look at Exodus 25, 10 to 15. He took back his wife, who had been with another man and you're not supposed to do that Deuteronomy 20:4 1, before he slept with another man's wife and then had him killed. OK, that breaks a couple of big ones that we find in what the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:17 and exodus 20:13.

We're clearly disallowed. You'll maybe he didn't know them.

I want to read you a couple of songs while once almond milk hit on his other one. These are they say, they're of the even, we don't really know what that means because that terminology was added at a later time. We think it could mean written by David and that's what I'm going to assume in the in what they talked about today, they could be in the style of David or in the school of what David did they all three translations make sense but let me know, David wrote a lot of songs. So look at it. Let's start tonight at 7:19 to start out with This is a Psalm of David, the heavens proclaim, the glory of God's, in the skies display, his craftsmanship. The after day, they continue to speak at night after night. They make him knowing they speak without a salamander words, their voices, never heard them yet. Their messages gone out through all the Earth, their words, to All Of The World God has made a home in the heavens for the Sun at first like radiant, bride groom, after his wedding, it rejoices like a great athlete. Eager to run the race, the sun rises, at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other and nothing can hide from its heat. Here's the part. I want you to notice the instructions of the Lord are perfect, Reviving The Soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy making wise, the simple. The commands of the Lord are right. Bringing Joy to the heart. The Commandments of the Lord are clear and giving insight and look for living reverence for the Lord is pure lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true. Each one is fair. They are more. Marble and gold. Even the finest gold are sweeter than honey then honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant that in a great reward. For those who obey them who can know this is working in my heart, cleanse me from these faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins, don't let them control me then, I will be free of guilt and innocence of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you my redeemer. That David knew the law, he loved the lot. Look what he said again this is a Psalm of David Psalm 40 verse 8. I take joy in doing your will my God. Your instructions are written on my heart. David knew the law, he loved the law and yet he was a law breaker.

No, I don't know about you but for me, that gives me hope.

David had a grease on him, that we don't see it till after the cross. He did things. So well, I needed things so badly.

And your God's grace was sufficient for him.

We really don't see that in another character in the Old Testament. That's not true. We see people mess up all the time in the Old Testament and the New Testament. You don't see that another ancient literature only in the Bible. People mess up.

Now.

Look at what the father said about David in Acts 13. 22 says what God removes. All and replaced him with David a man about whom God said, I found David Son of Jesse a man after my own heart he will do everything that I want him to do.

What do you think it means to be a person after God's Own Heart? Can't mean that we don't send David's David. We know was a lawbreaker, it can't be that. We don't mess up. It doesn't mean we don't hurt ourselves and hurt others. What did it mean for David?

David was a man after his own heart. When we look at David and his story, we see it contrasts completely with his predecessor Saul. Because salted things, one way and David. The things completely. Another. Saul. Tried to seek the Lord.

He tried to ask God.

in the story that we read a couple of weeks ago, Sam is a soul was waiting for Samuel. and Samuel hadn't come by and saw was going to fight the Philistines who had iron And they just had bronze and sticks, and his people were deserting him. And, and he said, I got afraid. And so I offer the sacrifice, he took the place of Samuel, the offer the sacrifice and the heat, it was just done when Samuel came and and I saw that you don't you knew that the sacrifice was done, he said what's going on, it's all explained, all these things. I was afraid and so I did it. And look at what Samuel said. I'm jumping all over the place here. So my notes are out of the place. First Samuel, 14 verse 13. He says how foolish Samuel explain. You have not kept the command of the Lord. Your God gave, you had you kept it. The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end for the Lord sought out. A man after his own heart, the Lord had already appointed him to be the leader of the people because you have not kept the Lord's command. Now the absolutely amazing thing in chapter 14 and chapter 15. We see saw inquiring of the Lord, he was asking God what to do and God would not answer him.

I don't want you to be afraid that you send the unforgivable sin and God's not aunt. That's why God's not answering your prayers.

Because if you're hearing this message, you haven't committed the unforgivable sin.

The unforgivable sin is not allowing Holy Spirit to work on your heart. Not allowing you to change. What's its that? Saul True spear consistently, he was afraid, he was afraid, he was afraid, he was afraid but he was in the garbage can in the amount of garbage. He was in the baggage. You was in the baggage instead of being made King and that never left him even though he was filled with Holy Spirit and became a brand new person.

I don't know if you ever caught that Saul met Samuel, Samuel said this is what's going to happen. You're going to meet a bunch of profits, you're going to prophesy with them and you will be changed to do a brand new person.

Oldest brand new person started the prophesy. And then hitting the baggage. And then every decision he made was out of fear, fear of his men, fear of the enemy, fear of this, fear of that, fear of this,

He was not a man after God's Own Heart. Saul Saul, Saul was trying to avoid other people's opinion of him.

when you get in the story of David and see how how he responded to God.

In the book of 1st Samuel and seven 2nd Samuel. There are seven times I found where, David asked the Lord. 1st Samuel, 23:2. You want me to read them. They're kind of all the same thing is I know and I'll read them. Even asked the Lord. Should I go in attack them? Yes, going to see if Kela the Lord said to versus later for Samuel 23:4. So David ask again. And the Lord said go down for Kila for I will help you conquer the Philistines. 1st 2nd, Samuel 2:1 after this. David asked the Lord. Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah? Yes, the Lord reply. Then, David asked. Which town should I go to to Hebron the Lord has answered 2nd. Samuel 5:19. The Lord has Daniel should I go out like the Philistines? Will you hand them over and the Lord replied? Yes, go ahead. I'll certainly hand them over to you and Dad 5:23 and again David asked the Lord what should I do? And then the Lord said don't attack them straight on the Lord replied and said circle around behind and attacked them to the poplar trees and 2nd. Samuel 21:1 the Lord there was famine in the land during his Reign that lasted three years. So David asked the Lord about it and the Lord said that the family is coming because all of his family. Are guilty of murdering the gibeonites. David was a man after God's heart, seven is a very significant number in the Hebrew understanding. It means full complete portal. So it's no accident. That seven times, David, inquired of the Lord David asked the Lord because it represents and he always ask the Lord. And God gave him Specific Instructions. And David will be them. That was the second thing for us to recognize that he did with the Lord's dad.

Saul reacted to fear.

David reacted, out of faith.

David Reid and obeyed. He did what specific things that God asked him to do.

We can be like David. Because that's how we're supposed to live after the cross.

We can be a person after God's heart by hearing and obeying What God Says.

It's a very simple message, I have for us today. If we are feeling dry, if we are feeling this jointed, if we are feeling disappointed, if we're feeling left behind

We need to ask God. That's the word we're going to use today. Ask? John 16:24 says use it. Ask using my name and you will receive what you have asked for with a bunch of joy. So ask me and Stansbury we ask God. As is we seek wisdom in the act of the wisdom, he gives us and Kay, we keep asking, we keep seeking, we keep knocking. it really is that simple to revive our hearts and be a person after God's Own Heart, we want to wear Too often. We forget to ask God.

We ask God to bless what we're doing cuz we've gotten ahead of him and doing the other thing. I don't know. Like that's maybe Me Maybe it's not you. Maybe you're just walking with God in the garden in the cool of the day and you're moving to the Ebbs and flows with the rhythms of his grace and you are just read then. I got to hang out with you because that's what we need more of. That's what I need more of But I know, I can get ahead of God and then ask God to bless me. Without first seeking what he wants me to do.

Now, the flip side of that is I can Forget to ask God to bless me when I know what he's told me to do and do it all on my own strength. Right? I wait for God to tell me what to do and then, hey, great. I want to do it now because that's what it is and it's like that's not his way.

Usually sometimes you want you to do it and you just it something you can do. So you do it other times. I need. Holy spirit's help. He wants me to be seeking his wisdom in not doing the wisdom is on. You chose me?

Yeah, we're going to leave the Note 7. Anyway.

We're going to ask God. if it's asked God to fill us, if it's asked God to renew us, if it ask God to show us wants us to do, we're going to ask

And we're going to seek wisdom. We don't want to do things foolishly or haphazardly, we get wisdom by asking God for wisdom. And he gives generously without finding fault. And sometimes we get into analysis paralysis because we ask for wisdom and then don't move on the wisdom that God has given us.

You know, we we were asked God for wisdom. We have confirmation from people that we trust and yet, we don't do it because we just need that other thing. We need something else to drop and your God has already told us. I told you what to do.

You had that conversation. I've got that guy told me that too. I told you what to do. Or what did you do? Know you told me back then. I did do it. Then. Can I do it now? Okay. Thanks.

We need to move on the ways of God has given us. Don't sit around and wait for more confirmation when he's already told you what to do. You're not going to be able to do it on your own strength. Anyway. Chances are. Chances are, he's going to lead you somewhere where you're going to have to trust him to show up. And the good news with that is it's up to him to show up, it's not on me. if I have to go spray for someone to be healed, it's on God. It's awesome. I can do that all day cuz it's not on me.

I'm still a little bit scared to pray for the dead, but I don't see a lot of dead people around While I was chasing ambulances but that never worked. Oh well.

We need to ask God what he wants us to do. We need to seek wisdom and then do work on the wisdom that he's given in case we need to keep asking and keep seeking and keep knocking. That's for Matthew 741. Jesus said, keep on asking, and you'll receive what you ask for, keep on seeking and you will find keep on knocking, and the door will be open to you for everyone who asks receives and it wrote it was, he spying and everyone who knocks the doors will be open. If your parents asked for the ask, if your children asked for you parents, if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give him a stone instead or if they ask for a fish? Do you give him a steak? Of course not. If you are simple people know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your heavenly father? Give good gifts to those who ask? I don't know if you ever caught this, this is part of The Sermon on the Mount.

Emma Emma chapter previously Jesus said when you pray don't pray like a pagans who Babble and a Babylon and asked God for a whole lot of things. They think their prayers are answered by repeating the words. Don't be like them. Your father knows exactly what you need and he goes on to say, so when you asked that you you ask your father to take care of your needs. And then invert chapter 7. He told him to keep asking and keep seeking you keep knocking.

And that sounds to me. It's a lot like you're babbling, right? Like, I keep on asking. Keep on. She can keep me. What am I doing there?

There's a difference here.

You just said your father knows what you need.

So, trust him to give it to you. You don't keep on asking and seeking and knocking for your needs because you have a good father who's going to take care of you.

When you look for his gifts. You keep seeking keep knocking keep asking. 4 needs. You trust your father for gifts? You know, you have a good father, who's going to give you good gifts, but you keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking for some reason. That's what he's wanting us to do a build something in us to be able to handle the gift. It strengthens us in some way so that we can use it with immaturity. That's the reason why we keep have to keep on looking for the gifts. And when I say gifts, yes, I'm talking about spiritual gifts. Yes. I'm talking about the blessings. He has for us. Yes, I'm talking about whatever. God, good father wants to bless you with Whatever children are a blessing from the Lord. You need children. Keep asking to you seeking keep knocking. Do those things for the gifts God has for you?

You don't do that for your food and your where you eat and what you sleep and what you wear.

You trust God you let your requests be known but you trust he's going to take care of you cuz you got a good father who takes Derek knows what you need.

So the question becomes, how do we seek him with all of our heart? How do we keep asking? Keep you seeking keep knocking.

And I've told you this before, but I treated his tools, so you guys can see it, then maybe see it in a different way. When you seek God with your whole heart, that means you seek him with your decision, with your emotions and with your actions. So how do you seek God? With your decisions, will hear 7 reasons to seek the Lord hear you will fully understand Justice. You don't need to worry about everything. Everyone else does you?

God's it will you got the eyes will be on you in his ears will be attentive to your prayers. You'll be delivered from your fears. You will live, you will be strengthened and God will be found. So the question becomes have I made the decision to seek the Lord

Your emotions emotions you feel that are in the Bible for when you seek the Lord, you you get peace. You get joy, you get hope you get gladness, you give no fear. You have freedom, your blessed, you have been to keishin, that's the emotions. You should be feeling. So, the question becomes, do I feel like I'm seeking God or a little behind on the side?

I think they're all they're actually just thought. I didn't actually check that.

And then the actions.

I always thought when you sought God, you free, louder and longer. That's what I grew up thinking, but I didn't actually read that in the Bible. When I looked in study that I found a neat ways to seek the Lord, we seek him. Yes, with our prayers. We speaking with her whole heart, we seek him with our decisions, with our thoughts, with our actions, with our words with prayer and fasting and we seek Him by humbly doing what's right? And so the question becomes, do I have action should show me? I'm seeking God.

New slides McDonald's magically appeared up there when I put them on at home. So sorry about that.

David was a man after God's Own Heart and you and I can be need to be a person after God's Own heart as well. It's not enough.

For us to give lip service to God. It's not enough for us. Tubi.

Offended in the world. Who's offended at God.

We need to be in that place where we are so filled up with God and Jesus and holy spirit, that they leak out wherever we go. And it's okay that they leak out cuz we're continually being filled. And yeah, we've had those moments in our, in our life. We've had those times when we have, we have searched for God and found him, and those are high points, and there are incredible. and yet we need that constant in feeling, we need that constant flow, it's not good enough to have that experience 25 years ago and I haven't had an experience in Or had that experience? Last week and nothing fresh this week, that's not good.

We should be so filled up with Jesus that when we gather together. It's not like we hear anything new here on Sunday morning, it's that we've learned it all in the front previous week and we gather together and encourage each other because that's exactly what God is teaching me. Or there's something in that or this. Here's what God has taught me this week or here's what's going on in my life.

Oh yeah.

I don't believe that this Christian Life should be a struggle. I think that we have made it. Part of the discipline to be a struggle. And I'm not saying it's easy, I'm saying, Holy Spirit has given you everything you need for life and godliness. I'm seeing that the same power that raised Christ. Jesus from the dead is alive in you. I'm saying that he will finish the good work. He started in you. I'm saying, if you need a time or if you're in a season where you feel broken or away from God, it's time to seek him and find him. It's time to confess your sins and say, God, I have you have you are always with me. God, I haven't always been with you. When you confess that I haven't always been with you, Holy Spirit to help me to be with you today. Help me or be with you in this moment. Hope meat need to be with you because I know you're doing something in someone's life right now. Help, give me the words to say, father, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to speak to? You want me to refrain from speaking? You want me to pray if you want me to just love? How can, what does lobe look like in this moment? And God will show it to you and he'll confirm it to you.

And it happens and it's happening.

Stand up with me please. That's not the sermon I wrote but he

It might not even be for anyone here. I might be for someone who hears is later.

But if it you think it's for you today, I want you to just not leave here the same way you came.

I want you to know. Play God's grace is sufficient and it doesn't matter if you think you falling away. Or you are not on fire. Do you have not been never been lacking in Zeal? I have not kept my spiritual fervor serving you. Lord God, I haven't been joyful in Hope for patient in Affliction or faithful in prayer. I want to be what I want to be those things. And I can be those things. Holy Spirit, if you show me, if you can power me, I can't do it on my own In My Own Strength, but I can do it, because you Empower me to accomplish every good work prompted by faith.

So Lord right now, in this place today, if anyone says I can't draw closer to God, I pray, Holy Spirit, Your Grace would be sufficient to them right now and they would know that you are already here, drawing them closer to you. Lord, I pray for anyone here. Who is so bored with Christianity or listening and just, just given up on it, Lord, call them back to you. Lord, God, not so that we can come and look at the back of each other's head, but the Lord that we can encourage each other towards love and good works. I pray, Lord God's that there would be an anointing on us right now to do the work that you've called us to do to love the way that you want us to love to show. Lord God the world your goodness and your kindness that Drew leads them to repentance God and Lord right now in this place, whatever anybody is feeling Let them feel your peace and your hope and your joy. And Lord God.

Lets us so that we can bless others. In Jesus name, we pray.

Amen. Amen. If anyone wants to come up and pray, you can come up to pray and I don't mean someone's going to pray for you. You could be praying for someone or they could be praying for you. Don't leave here the same way that you came in for, like an hour early guys. So spend some time talking to

you may be seated for just a second.

Absolutely. Thank you. Pastor Trevor for that message and