Brother Gary Sunday Morning 7/15/12

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 7/15/12

David said, “I dwell in a house of cedar but the ark of God dwells in curtains.” 2 Sam 7:2

David had in his heart the desire to build a really nice place for the ark of God to dwell in.  He was never able to see it built but he bankrupt himself financially to lay up for Solomon’s temple to be built.  After he had given all that he had, he asked, “Who then would be willing to consecrate his service to the Lord?”

1Ch 29:9  Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

1Ch 29:10  Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.

David was so inspired by God and the way that the Children of Israel were responding to the call and the need that he said:

1Ch 29:11  Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.

1Ch 29:12  Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

1Ch 29:13  Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

1Ch 29:14  But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

It is so important that you and I realize how great God is and how small you and I are.

1Ch 29:15  For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

1Ch 29:16  O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.

1Ch 29:17  I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.

1Ch 29:18  O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:

1Ch 29:19  And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.

This morning the burden of my heart is: the prayer of the king concerning his burden for his son.  He wanted God to give Solomon a perfect heart and to give Solomon the desire to keep the commandments, the testimonies and the statutes. 

David was familiar with everything that composed the Word of God.  David didn’t know the Bible as we know it but he had the understanding of how important the Word of God was.

David understood tabernacle worship.  When you and I understand the pattern of worship, we see the Word of God almost everywhere in worship. 

The offering on the brazen alter which is Jesus Christ, but Christ is the Word of God in the Gospel Day.  The laver, in the Gospel day we can wash with the washing of water by the Word of God.  When you come to the door, it is Jesus, the Word of God. 

The shew bread is the Word of God.  The candlestick is the Word of God.  The golden altar, the Word of God instructs us to come there and it is obedience to the Word of God that we offer ourselves a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God which is our reasonable service. (Rom 12:1) 

The Holiest of Holies, it is the Word of God that was written on the Tables of Stone with His finger.

Many in the world take only a part of the Word of God or don’t take any of it.  This has little to do whether the word is true or not.  You and I know that the Word is forever settled in heaven.

David’s prayer was that Solomon would keep God’s commandments.  The commandments are His Word directing us what to do.

The testimonies are His word telling what it will do for us.  “If you will confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive your sin and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)  If you present your bodies a living sacrifice, we know that the blood will be applied, the carnal nature removed and the Holy Spirit take its abode in our soul.

David knew that his son Solomon would need the testimonies of the Lord.  As much as God blessed Solomon, Solomon failed to keep the testimonies and the commandments and to obey them all his days. 

David was inspired because he loved his son.  His son was chosen of God to build what David had prepared for.

The statutes direct us in the way that we should go.  Solomon needed this and if he did then you and I desperately need it.

God knew that Solomon needed to know and do what God had commanded.  He needed to know and understand that if he did the commands, he would be blessed and if he didn’t then he would be opening himself to the wrath of God.

David was well aware of the commandments, the testimonies and the statutes.  The historians believe that David began to sing the 119^th Psalm when he was a youth.

Psa 119:9  BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

We would like to grasp the age when David realized that it was important for him to be cleansed before God.

You and I are all faced with awkward situations.  There are awkward situations that are a result of sin and the lack of training of 2012.  I was in the grocery store Thursday or Friday buying groceries.  The clerk and the others were making suggestive remarks.  I became awkward very fast.  Suggestive remarks are always inappropriate in any crowd.  There was a young man and at least two girls there.  I was awkward.

David at a young age began to feel his need of a clean heart.  Before the end of his life he left the testimony that perhaps he had reached a place where only God could help.  You and I can understand that.  If these little children that were in Sunday school this morning will listen to their parents, their great grandparents, and Sister Julie they will escape sin that will mar their minds and their life so that only God and a miracle can restore.

David understood the testimonies, the commandments, and the statutes of God.  In Psalms 119 there are ten words that describe the Word of God: Precepts, word, law, ways, truth, judgment, righteousness, testimonies, commandments, and statutes.

David was well acquainted with the statutes, the commandments, and the testimonies.  We can understand this desire because David had failed God and he so wanted his son to not fail God.

Psa 119:1  ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

These children that are here this morning are blessed because they can start walking in the commandments of the Lord here today and avoid the defilement of the enemy.  David was telling Solomon to keep the testimonies, the statutes, and the commandments from a youth.

If we keep the things of God real, the commandments will hold us steady.  If we let them slip away, the damage is not only for a lifetime but sometimes for eternity.

The Word of God is designed to shape our whole life. For every one of us here, our entire life, our physical, spiritual, mental, business, recreation and pleasure, the Word of God is designed to shape the whole life.

When we begin to worship, immediately the first thing that we do is that we are thankful for a savior, we know that by the Word of God. 

As we come to the laver in worship we are washed.   I’m not speaking of sin in this thought, but if there are things that are troubling in your mind, you can be cleansed.  An unclean spirit may come to war on your mind, your emotions, and your thought patterns even by you just coming across someone with an unclean spirit. 

When you know that you have come across someone with an unclean spirit, (I’m not talking about just lust), I’m talking about uncleanness in that there is something within them that they love darkness.  They love something that is unclean: whether it is pride, being hateful, gossip, or whatever it is.  It isn’t so important to identify it; if you sense that it is unclean then you don’t want to pack it.  If you pack it then you will spread it around.  You don’t want to spread it around or be affected by it. 

You come back and begin to worship.  You thank God for the laver where you can worship and be cleansed in your thoughts.  If it is only a question about a brother or a sister, if it is only something that would try to bring discord in your thoughts, you can be cleansed so that you don’t have to pack it around or share it with someone else.

When you enter in, the Word of God is a cleanser and the candlestick searches out your heart.  It helps you to know that, “This thing that is a noisome pestilence isn’t of God.”  You say, “Oh God, take it away.”  You cannot go back to being a child with no sin, but whenever you get saved, you started a new life.  From that point blessed are the undefiled that walk in the law of the Lord.

Psa 119:2  Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

If we do what the word of God tells us about and warns us about then we are blessed.

Psa 119:3  They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.

Psa 119:4  Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

Psa 119:5  O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

It is vital that we keep our conduct according to the dictates of the Word and Spirit of God.  We all have a personality, it is important that we let the Word of God mold it.  If we don’t then we take on our own way.

Psa 119:6  Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

Psa 119:7  I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

Psa 119:8  I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

Psa 119:169  TAU. Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

Everyone in this audience will need God to give them understanding according to His Word this week.  It is never wrong to say, “God help your Word speak to me.”  As we worship, the Word of God is preeminent all through worship.  There is a marvelous thing that takes place in the Holiest of Holies.  The Word written there was written on the tables of stone, today it is written on the heart.

Psa 119:170  Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

Supplication usually means to pray to God to divert evil. 

David had lots of evil targeted towards him and God had delivered him over and over again.  If you are targeted by someone then you need to have God help you so that you don’t become paranoid.  Make sure your help comes from God.

Psa 119:171  My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

After you have God help you to know how to behave yourself, always come back and praise Him.

Psa 119:172  My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

Psa 119:173  Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

Psa 119:174  I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.

Psa 119:175  Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

Psa 119:176  I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

David probably was writing this in past tense referring to when he had left God and forsook His way. 

He cried out for God to seek His servant.  When you have prayer requests they will be for individuals that you have talked to and they haven’t listened.  There is only one hope, but there is hope that God Himself will go seek that individual and say, “Son, daughter, I am here to do business with you today.” 

You can trust Jesus.  People will position themselves where the Saints cannot help them.  They have turned a deaf ear.  They have listened to the flesh and they hear you without hearing you.  David said that “I was in that shape once and God came to me.” 

“For I do not forget thy commandments.”  There is something about God that He has a way of preaching a message without you or me.  He has a way of helping them to come to the realization that they need God.  When you have done all that you can do, you can trust Jesus. 

There will be individuals that position themselves so that they are like a lost sheep running saying, “I need help.”  The sheep in the fold are echoing to them, “God is your only help.”  Yet they keep running and the echo dies out but God himself finds them as He did the prodigal son and says, “The servants have more than you.  Come back to the Father’s house.”