Construction Of Kingdom 7

Introduction

You are the man! It's what Tiger Woods hears from his father after sinking an 18-foot putt to secure another PGA tournament championship. If Michael Jordan achieves a 6th NBA Championship, sports analysts and fans will say it, You are the man!

Ladies, forgive me if I have lost you with my male perspective this morning, but You are the man, is something every male wants to hear at least once in his life. It's the 11-year-old who hits his 1st home run in Little League this summer. It's the response the working man wants to hear from a colleague on a job well done, the weekend warrior who just made the winning shot in a pick up game, the preacher who just nailed a point…

However, no man in this room wants to hear those four 3-letter words in the context of which King David heard them in 2 Samuel 12:7. For David, they took on a much different meaning, having nothing to do with success or another victory. It was the mark of failure.

In our series, Construction of a Kingdom, we have explored how God establishes His design and purpose in our lives. Week after week, I have hoped that we could grasp the idea that the Lord has a distinct purpose and vision for our lives. We have delved into the lessons that David learned as he moved from the pastures of a shepherd into the palace of a king. We have seen how God accomplished this in David's life…

1 Personal character is a foundation on which God builds His kingdom.

2 The Lord uses personal battles to let us experience His empowering presence.

3 By taking refuge in the Lord, He can prepare us for His glorious purposes.

4 The Lord will bring Godly influence in our lives to prepare us for His plans.

5 Worshiping God transports His abiding presence into our lives that we might know His power and glory.

We have seen the victories in David's life, but what happens when he fails. By this time, David has been on the throne some 20 years and is between 45 and 50 years of age. Today, we see the sorted details of a grim failure. The Lord would have us learn from the catastrophe.

1 Corinthians 10:11 - 12 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. They are written for us to learn from.

David's adultery with Bathsheba and act of murder against her husband cripples God's purpose in him, devastating his future & those closest to him. Sin always does…

Theme: Disobedience results from a process that weakens and damages God's purpose and kingdom in our lives.

3 observations can be made that brought David through this dark chapter in his life. They are three God intends for us to learn from…

1 Failure resulted from a perilous flaw…

No one falls by accident, not even David. In these events, we are forced to question, David, how could you fall so low, for David, the conqueror of Goliath and the Philistines is now conquered by his own passion. Not even a man after God's heart is immune from a tragic fall from grace.

We've seen in his life a tremendous heart for the things of God. He was a man who committed nearly everything to prayer. The Psalms reveal much his personal devotional life which included prayer regarding every issue in his life; the battles with the Philistines, his strenuous relationship with King Saul, his relationship with God. Yet, never once is it recorded that he prayed concerning his love life.

The seeds of David's fall were being sown much earlier in his life

Deuteronomy 17:16-17 But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again. Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.

David had done well in 2 out of 3. The Scriptures reveal the David took many wives and concubines. In 1 Samuel 17, he married Michal, in 1 Samuel 25, Abigail and Ahinoam, in 2 Samuel 5, several more wives. He had indulged himself in the passions of physical love, unrestrained by God's counsel through His Word. Over 20 years of looseness regarding God's instruction in his life piled up prior to his affair!

Some 20 years ago the Great Teton Dam in Western Idaho collapsed sending millions of gallons of water into the Snake River basin. Workers at the dam had barely enough time to escape. Was it a freak accident? No. After further examination, it was determined that at the base of the wall of the dam a fault line suffered substantial erosion over the years and caused it to give way to the catastrophe. No one saw the cause, but everyone witnessed the big collapse.