Preparing for the End
Notes
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28 Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
29 And the king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity,
30 as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.”
31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
(ESV) —28 Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, 30 as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.” 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
Introduction:
Introduction:
Most of you have heard the expression, “My life flashed before my eyes.” This is often used in near death experiences. But if you want to see the future and not the past, learn from others.
Most of you have heard the expression, “My life flashed before my eyes.” This is often used in near death experiences. But if you want to see the future and not the past, learn from others.
What is going to happen to your family when you die? If you want a clue, look at what happens to other families when people die.
Someone recently shared with me that they wanted to learn from other people’s mistakes so that they didn’t have to learn from their own.
I Corinthians tells us that is one of the purposes for the Old Testament.
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
(ESV) —6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
(ESV) —11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
As we look at the final days of David’s life, we see what can happen to a family upon ones death.
David is on his deathbed. In his weakened condition events are taking place that, if he had been healthy and alert, he would have dealt with.
5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. 7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. 8 But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.
Adonijah establishes a parade and appoints himself as Grand Marshal.
(ESV) —5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
6 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.
Adonijah establishes a parade and appoints himself as Grand Marshal.
His father never asked any question that would cause his son to be irritated. He shared traits with Absalom. He was handsome. He tried to take over Israel without his father’s approval.
His father never asked any question that would cause his son to be irritated. He shared traits with Absalom. He was handsome. He tried to take over Israel without his father’s approval.
The write makes a deliberate and direct connection to Absalom. Good looking and devious.
7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him.
He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him.
We can understand why Joab joined. He had a history of doing what he thought was right even if it went against the wishes of David. He is soon to come up short, but he doesn’t know that. He chooses the person he things should be the next king.
We can understand why Joab joined. He had a history of doing what he thought was right even if it went against the wishes of David. He is soon to come up short, but he doesn’t know that. He chooses the person he things should be the next king.
Abiathar is another issue. It’s hard to see why he chose Adonijah, but he did. David took him in when his father was killed by Saul. He had years of loyalty; a loyalty that eventually would prolong his life.
8 But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah.
But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah.
It appears that they were invited, but chose not to go. This whole event was done behind David’s back and did not have his approval.
It appears that they were invited, but chose not to go. This whole event was done behind David’s back and did not have his approval.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah,
10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.
Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.
One can tell a lot by who is deliberately excluded from a party. These were all supporters of David and would not think of going against David’s wishes.
One can tell a lot by who is deliberately excluded from a party. These were all supporters of David and would not think of going against David’s wishes.
Though David told people what his wishes were when he died, he did nothing publically to cement these in place. The result was that upon his death, the family members would fight and kill one another.
Problem:
Many of us are in the same place. We have made no provisions for what will happen when we die.
First, we have made no provision for our material goods.
First, we have made no provision for our material goods.
You have no will. For some of you, this is no big issue. It may not be to you, but it might be to those who survive you. I am not a lawyer and I am only coming to you from a position based on my experience. People who die without wills often leave families that fight, are hurt and can have lifetime rifts because of your inaction.
Even before David dies, one of his sons decides to take over his throne. I know personally of two cases where people entered the house either before the funeral or soon after and took what was not theirs to take. In one case, I was not aware of a will and the people got away with it. In the second, there was a will and the person had to return what was taken. It’s sad.
A will may not solve all problems, but preparing for your death in this way can be a loving act for your family.
Some people use their wills to give special gifts to special people. Others have used their wills to help advance the kingdom of God.
If you love your family, don’t do what one person said they would do. They said, “Let them fight it out. I’ll be gone and it won’t affect me.” Though everyone around them laughed, the truth is that such an attitude does not show love to the family. What loving person wants to put their family in a position to fight?
Beyond that, young people who love their husbands, wives and children need to understand that, as sad as it is, both parents can die in an accident. Who will care for your children? I am not a lawyer, but I believe the state will decide for you if you have not made a decision. One of the main concerns we had was that whoever would take the children would 1) not abuse them and 2) would encourage their Christian faith.
None of us know the future. Here is David waiting until he is on his deathbed to make a decision after his lack of leadership has created a problem.
Second, we need to make provision for our families spiritual wellbeing.
Second, we need to make provision for our families spiritual wellbeing.
Nothing will bring as much comfort to your friends and family than for them to know you trust and follow Jesus.
Jesus is the only way to God. He calls everyone to come to him and trust him. We please God when we trust him. It is impossible to please God without faith. That faith is not in us, it is in Jesus.
If you say you have put your faith in Jesus that is huge. If you live a Christian life, that is even better.
If you have kept quiet about your faith in Jesus, your friends and relatives will have to guess as to your eternal destination. The greatest comfort you can give your family and friends is to not only confess your faith in Jesus, but also to live in such a way as to remove any doubt.
Don’t let your pride keep you from speaking up. Jesus said,
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Third, we need to prepare our families for our death.
Third, we need to prepare our families for our death.
(ESV) —32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
Third, we need to prepare our families for our death.
If you die, you husband, wife, children and other will be asking a lot of questions. “Where are the papers we need? Who is going to run the business? What do we wish the person who died had told us before he or she passed on?
David was king of Israel. He had told Bathsheba that her son would be king. It doesn’t seem like it was well known. It may be why Adonijah didn’t invite Solomon to the party.
Solomon was untrained and untaught. By God’s grace he succeeded as king. But he went through unnecessary strife within his family and within the nation as a result of David’s decision not to promote and prepare him for his role.
These are questions I am asking myself and praying to God for wisdom. In the next one to five years I will no longer be pastor at Palermo Christian Church. I have been asking myself this question, “What can I do to help prepare this church for the transition.”
I have seen in the Bible the messy transitions that took place when people were unprepared. David passes on his kingdom to Solomon and Solomon does well. But if one reads the rest of the books of the kings, some do well and some do poorly. One finds that a bad king follows a good king and a good king follows a bad king. One reason is that the responsibilities were thrust upon them with no preparation.
I have also seen the messy situations that take place when a long-term pastor leaves and a new pastor comes. I don’t want to see that happen here.
The story of G. Campbell Morgan, a British preacher, book writer, and Bible teacher impressed me. He heard Martyn Lloyd-Jones preach in England and in the US. He asked him to come and work with him at his church in London. Wikipedia summarizes this time in this way. “Finally, in 1933, he returned to England, where he again became pastor of Westminster Chapel and remained there until his retirement in 1943. He was instrumental in bringing Martyn Lloyd-Jones to Westminster in 1939 to share the pulpit and become his successor.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones followed a popular preacher and had a 30-year pastorate at that same church. That was after a four year transition period.
What did Jesus do?
What did Jesus do?
I was struck by the fact that when Jesus died, he left nothing for people to fight over. The Roman guards confiscated his clothing. He didn’t own a home. He had no savings that we are aware of. At the cross he asks John to look out for his mother. There were other siblings that were able to help as well.
The last three years of his life he spent in ministry. He went everywhere proclaiming the kingdom of God. As he went, he trained his disciples. His plan was for them to continue the work he had begun after his death. He prepared them spiritual for his death.
He also spoke openly about his death. They didn’t want to hear it and didn’t understand until after his resurrection. But he tried to prepare them for life after Jesus.
This message may seem depressing, so let me recap where I sense the Spirit of God is leading us.
Love
Love
The central issue is the issue of love. If we love God and love our families and friends, we will not knowingly put them in a difficult situation.
I have had testimonies of people who have been so thankful. When a spouse or parent died, the person who died had preplanned and prepaid for the funeral. They had written a will and had laid out beforehand what they wanted. The burden that was lifted on the part of those left behind was significant. It was one of the greatest acts of love one could do for another.
I have also heard testimonies from those who had loved ones who refused to deal with death. The family had multiple opinions on what should be done. Emotions would run high. Everyone had heard mom or dad say that they could have the family heirloom. Nothing was written down, so there was no one to settle the dispute. In some cases, family member went to court against other family members. A time of grief, sadness, and mutual support had everything but the mutual support.
Death is real. If we love others, we should deal with it better than David did.
We also need to stop sitting on the fence. If you trust Jesus, let your family know. If you are a Christian, be open about it. If you are not a Christian and are seeking, start asking questions. You want to be sure of your own salvation. It will bring you peace and strength and it will bring comfort to others.
When it comes to the church, we need to seek out people and help them grow in Christ. The person sitting next to you might be the person that God calls to fill your spot when you are no longer a part of this church. Every Christian is on temporary assignment.
Dale Flynn was an interim pastor when this church started. He left and went down south. He is now gone to be with his Lord and Savior.
Herb and Royce Dyer were major leaders in the building of this building and the gym. Both are now with the Lord.
Fred Williams and Dave Kibbe were instrumental in preaching and teaching the Word of God. They are now ministering in other places.
Someday that will be you and me. Who will step in and take our place? Who are we training?
Love not only looks at the present, love looks at the future. Our life now may pass before our eyes, but we can see the future by looking at what is happening in others around us.
We need to take notice, to listen and learn, so that we can love people in a way that will honor God.