How To Be A Servant After God’s Own Heart Series

I never thought about it before, but our culture talks a lot about our HEARTS. For example: If we want to have an intimate and personal talk with someone, we say that we want to have a “heart-to-heart”. If we’ve had a really good day, we might say that we are feeling “Lighthearted.” If we know of someone who has NO compassion for others we might describe them as being “heartless,” and we refer to truly evil people as being “black-hearted.” But courageous people are “brave hearted.” And Saintly folks have “hearts of gold.” We call our deepest hurts - “heartaches.” And jilted… LOVERS …are call “brokenhearted.” But when we love somebody deeply, we say we love them “with all our hearts.”

So our culture uses the term HEART to describe many of our characteristics as a people.

Now, in our sermon this morning we’re going to focus on God choosing David because he was a man after His own heart. “He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.” Psalm 78:70-72

So God chose David. But why? Well, Acts 13:22 says that God declared ‘I have found David - the son of Jesse – to be a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’

Now, that’s a good thing. Ever since the Bible was written - true believers have wanted to be men and women after God’s own heart. And obviously, that kind of person pleases God, and so that’s what I want to do. I want to Please God by being a person who is “after God’s own heart”.

BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Well, it means that we are determined to do whatever God wants. We are committed to obeying him - no matter what! We have decided to do ALL God’s will. God said He had found David “… to be a man after (His) own heart, who will do ALL (His) will.” Acts 13:22

Now, one of my favorite verses in the Old Testament is II Chronicles 16:9. It says “The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” God’s LOOKING for someone! He’s looking for someone who’s fully committed to doing ALL God’s Will. In fact, He might be looking for you! God is ACTIVELY seeking a person whose heart is fully devoted to Him. He is looking for YOU… and YOU… and YOU.

And once He finds the person He’s looking for, God says He will INVEST in that person’s life. He will be committed to invest in that person by strengthening their lives. And, He’s looking for someone who will commit themselves to Him FIRST. And then, when that person commits to God, then God will commit Himself to them!

Now, in the Old Testament God confronted a King named Saul (the 1st King of Israel) and He told Saul “Your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart (talking about David) and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." 1 Samuel 13:14

So, God was going to replace King Saul with David. BUT WHY? Well, because David was a man after God’s own heart - and Saul WASN’T. Saul had failed to do what God commanded him.

What did Saul do wrong? Well, Israel was at war with the Philistines, and the Philistines showed up in force. They had 30,000 chariots and 6000 horsemen and their troops were like the sand on the seashore (there were a bunch of them). And the people of Israel were frightened, and Saul realizes he could lose this battle.

But the Prophet Samuel had told Saul that God wanted him to wait until SAMUEL got there, and Samuel would offer up a sacrifice to God as an appeal to God for His help in the coming conflict.

“Saul waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. So Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings." And he (King Saul) offered the burnt offering. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come in the days appointed,… I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering." And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which He commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart.” I Samuel 13:8-14