Living Life in Significance
Of Shepherds, Songs, and Kings • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
John Mann, PhD
Sun Morn Sermon
A Peanuts cartoon from way back when has Lucy asking a glum-looking Charlie Brown what he is worrying about. Says Charlie, “I feel inferior.” “Oh,” says Lucy, “you shouldn’t worry about that. Lots of people have that feeling.” “What, that they’re inferior?” Charlie asks. “No,” Lucy replies, “that you’re inferior.”
We can often feel weak. We can often feel as if the battle has gone on too long and the enemies too many. They are too strong.
When we begin to feel that way, we must remember that our hope is not based upon our strength. It is based upon God’s strength. It is based upon Him entering into a covenant with us in salvation through Christ.
That is why Paul was able to say that it is when we are weak that we are strong. Our strength is not based upon us. It is based upon God.
Context:
David’s life seems to have been an ongoing battle. In the pasture he faced the lions and bears that threatened the sheep.
In the palace he faced the madman, Saul. In the wilderness he faced his own limitations.
And now, as king, he faces a plethora of armies that surround him.
Chapter 8 resumes what God was doing through David in chapter 5. David had defeated the Philistines after he had heard “the sound of marching in the tree tops,” ().
Chapters 6 and 7 then set the reason that God was giving David victory—God had made a covenant with David. The covenant was symbolized by David moving the Ark, in spite of great peril. And that God had entered into a covenant with David to build a house for him.
Chapter 8 is a summary of how God is blessing David as David is faithful to God.
It is necessary to see here that blessing from God is not something comes us to merely as we sit and wait. The blessing of God is something that we receive as we actively pursue God. David goes to battle on behalf of the people of God.
If you want to receive God’s blessings, you must be about God’s business. God does not bless laziness.
Specifically, God gave significant victories to David in order to honor God’s word to Israel. God had promised to give Israel a place to dwell and to honor God’s word to David to make of him a great king.
The list of armies that David defeats in chapter 8—with the Lord’s help—is scattered throughout the North, South, East, and West. In other words, God’s blessing of David was not restricted. God’s blessing of David was expanded throughout the entire territory. God had blessed David far more than David could ever realize. This is the nature of our God.
The Faithfulness of God to His Word
Chapter 8 is the Bible recording how God had blessed David just as He said He would in chapter 7. God had entered into a covenant with David and now God was fulfilling that covenant with David.
We should find great hope in knowing that God honors His promises. He is a covenant keeping God. God does not lie to His people. says
God is not a man that He should lie, Nor the son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
You can take God at His Word. The God who has given promises to us is a God who cannot lie. He swears by His now name because there is no one greater by whom He can swear.
God has promised to bless our acts of faith—and we can take His words to the bank.
In establishing the Kingdom that God had promised to David, David defeated
We might be offended at the violence of David in verse 2: “David defeated Moab and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground.” Two lines were put to death while a third line was allowed to live. David had killed 2/3 of the Moabites.
But we shouldn’t take this as a violent act of David against an innocent people. It was a gracious act of David on behalf of his own people. David had defeated one of the longstanding enemies of the Israelites. 2/3 of them were killed while a 1/3 were made servants of the Israelites.
David’s act was not an immoral act of slaughtering the innocent. It was a loving act of protecting his own people.
The Presence of God to His People/The Lord Fights for His People
The theme of chapter is “The Lord helped David wherever he went,” (6, 14). Other versions translate this “The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.”
David’s winning of the victory was not because David went out and fought on God’s behalf. David had victory because he went and fought in God’s presence.
The Power of God over Our Enemies
Just as God gave David victory over His enemies, so does God give us victory over our enemies. He tells us that we are more than conquerors. We are told we are to give thanks to God “who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him” ().
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
(NAS): be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
The theme of is that God is faithful to His word to bless His people, therefore we can trust that God will give us victory over the things that threaten our walk with Him.
· Sin
· Self
· Situation: Situations do not control your life. Your life is controlled by the Spirit of Christ no matter what you current situation is.
· Satan
Applications: What significant people do.
David fought against the enemies of God
· Defeated the Philistines
· Defeated the Moabites
· Defeated Hadadezer to restore his rule to the Euphrates
· Defeated the Arameans
· We might think that this is rather violent. But David knew what we tend to forget: those things that threaten our devotion to God must be put to death.
o Put to death the deeds of the flesh.
· David was pushing back the reign of darkness so that the light of Christ might shine. I want us to do that in our community.
· You have three enemies that you must be at war against
o Sin
o Self
o Satan
David contributed to the work of God (6-14)
· David realized the what God had given to him He had given so that David could use it for the work of the God’s Kingdom.
o Time
o Tithe
o Talents
David stood for justice and righteousness on behalf of and in front of others (15-18)