Lessons from David pt 7
“The Death of a King”
Thesis: David died leaving a mark in history for all of eternity to talk about and for us to learn from. We all need to leave an eternal legacy with our lives.
Texts: II Samuel 23, I Kings 2:1-12, I Chronicles 28, 29
Introduction:
Let us revisit a few passages I Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the lord looks at the heart.’
Today’s texts are going to share with us the last words David shares before his death.
Famous last words from: en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Famous_last_words
• Now comes the mystery.
o Who: Henry Ward Beecher evangelist, d. March 8, 1887
• I’m in the hands of Jesus…
o Who: Tammy Faye Messner [Bakker]
o Note: As told by her husband Roe Messner on CNN’s Larry King Live. Roe was with Tammy Faye at the moment of her death.
• Oh God, here I go!
o Who: American boxer Max Baer
• [Asked by Mrs. Clark if he knew what day it was.]
"Oh, yes; it is the glorious Fourth of July. It is a great day. It is a good day. God bless it. God bless you all. [He then lapsed into unconsciousness. He awakened later, and mumbled] Thomas Jefferson…"
o Who: John Adams
o Note: John Adams died on July 4, 1826. He is often quoted as having said "Thomas Jefferson still survives." with some depictions indicating he might have not expressed the entire statement before dying, i.e.: "Thomas Jefferson… still survi—", but some research indicates that only the words "Thomas Jefferson" were clearly intelligible among his last. Adams did not know that Jefferson, his great political rival—and later friend and correspondent—had died a few hours earlier that same 4th of July, 1826, exactly fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence
• I have lived as a philosopher, and die as a Christian.
o Who: Giacomo Casanova
• Ay Jesus.
o Who: Charles V, King of France, d. 1380
• It’s very beautiful over there.
o Who: Thomas Edison
o Note: Spoken to his wife as he lapsed in and out of consciousness. There is debate over if he meant the afterlife, or the view from his window.
• I’ve always loved my wife, my children, and my grandchildren, and I’ve always loved my country. I want to go. God, take me.
o Who: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Oh, do not cry - be good children and we will all meet in heaven.
o Who: Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United States
• "Is it the Fourth?" [Doctor Robley Dunglison: "It soon will be."] "I resign my spirit to God, my daughter to my country."
o Who: Thomas Jefferson
o Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. This was the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence, which was written mostly by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson’s great political rival, John Adams—later a correspondent and friend—died the same day a few hours later.
• Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!...
o Who: Joan of Arc
• Amen.
o Who: Pope John Paul II
• Be sure to play "Blessed Lord" tonight — play it real pretty.
o Martin Luther King Jr.
• Good-bye, good-bye all. It’s God’s way. His will, not ours, be done.
o Who: William McKinley, 25th President of the United States, assassinated in 1901
• May God never abandon me.
o Who: Blaise Pascal
• Lord help my poor soul.
o Who: Edgar Allan Poe
• I’m going to go be with Gloria now.
o Who: Jimmy Stewart, speaking of his late wife
• I am just going. Have me decently buried and do not let my body be into a vault in less than two days after I am dead. Do you understand me? ["Yes," replied Tobias Lear, his secretary.] ’Tis well. I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.
o Who: George Washington, first President of the United States (he had a fear of being buried alive)
• The best of all is: God is with us.
o Who: John Wesley
• Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you.
o Who: Mother Teresa (Sept 5, 1997)
o Notes: Sister Nirmala Joshi recalled, "Just hours before her death, Mother Teresa spoke about the Little Flower, St. Therese. She has just been declared a ‘Doctor of the Church’ by Pope John Paul II. Her last words are: "Can you imagine, for doing little things with great love, the Church is making her a Doctor, like St. Augustine and the big St. Teresa! It is just like Jesus said in the Gospel to the one who was seated in the lowest place: "Friend, come up higher." St. Therese’s last words were quite similar, "Oh, I love him; my God, I love you".
Here are some of the famous last words of Jesus!
• Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
o Who: Jesus of Nazareth. Last words according to Luke 23:46 : "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." (KJV)
o It is finished.
Last words according to John 19:30 : "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit." (KJV)
o Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani? (God, God, why have you forsaken me?)
o "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Last words after Jesus resurrection according to Matthew 28:18-20)
The last words (among very few) that are preserved of the Aramaic which Jesus spoke, and the last recorded words prior to his death in the books of Mark and Matthew. (Mark 15:34 & Matthew 27:46)
What about you? What would your last words sound like, what would they say? Who would be listening? Would they echo on in history? Would they echo on for eternity? Would they be meaningful? Would they be insightful? It’s amazing how people’s last words make a difference. I find it fascinating how at the point of death what really matters rushes to the forefront.
My question to all of you today is – If you knew that you were going to die tomorrow what would your last words be?
But maybe more important that your last words – what would people say about your life? How would they summarize it?
We have the Lord’s last words about David in Acts!
Acts 13:22 “…I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”
Opening Video: Leaving a legacy for others to imitate:
Heroes: Cassie Bernall; Jim Elliot; George Washington Carver (Heroes Blue fish tv)
So let me ask, “How would you’re life be summarized in the end by others? What would they say?”
How about by God what would He say?
Today we are going to talk about death- the time when you heart stops beating. We are going to look at the death of David – the king. Death is evident for all it’s when your lungs no longer take in breath when you receive a flat line on the monitor and go from here to eternity.
Truth is everyone dies! You will die!
But what will your mark in history be?
David’s mark was summed up in Acts 13:22 where the Bible says he was man after God’s own heart.
He went down in history noted as a man, a king who sought after the heart of God. We have been exploring David’s life over the last few weeks and we have learned a lot.
A nobody becomes a somebody
A somebody becomes a fugitive
This fugitive had integrity
A fugitive becomes king
A King falls into sin but finds revival
Our king comes to the end of his life and speaks his last few words. His life is coming to an end but his life will leave a mark for eternity – he will leave a legacy for all to learn from.
How did David leave his mark in history AND FOR ETERNITY?
T.S. - I noticed 4 things that David did which enabled him to leave a legacy for all eternity to talk about. Lets look at the 1st one which is he influenced others.
I. David left his mark in history by influencing others (I Samuel 23:8-39)
a. His most famous influence upon others is shown in his “Mighty Men” listed in II Samuel 23:8-39:
i. This section highlights the exploits of some of David’s Captains (verses 1-12).
ii. This next section here amazes me (verses 13-17)- David is thirsty and the three top leaders sneak into the Philistine camp and get him a drink from his hometown well. They bring it back and he is so overwhelmed by their selfless act it and gives it to God as an offering. A Sacrifice will always be something you do not want to give up!
1. It’s amazing to me how in II Samuel 23 David’s men heard that he was thirsty and the three mighty men broke through the Philistine line and got their leader a drink. He was so touched by their commitment and friendship he poured it out as an offering to the Lord.
a. David knew that only God deserved this type of dedication that his men showed him.
iii. Take time this week an understand these where people like you and I.
1. Read 23:18-39 they could be names like Mike, Frank, Al, Dave, Tim, Ray, Ron and so on.
a. Understand that these men totaled 37 in all.
b. David was a person of influence and as a result he trained and developed mighty men under his leadership.
i. Denn Guptill tells us, “Their stories are stories of incredible bravery and military prowness.”
ii. The main reason he influenced these men was because he established relationships with his men.
1. Example of mission’s trip to Belize of how not to establish relationships.
2. John Maxwell states, “Influence doesn’t come to us instantaneously. It grows in stages.”
3. David’s early years of running from Saul with his men developed deep and lasting relationships.
a. SHARING DIFFICULT TIMES WITH OTHERS IN HARDSHIPS BUILDS DEPTH IN RELATIONSHIPS.
i. During trials and tribulation is when our character is shaped and modeled.
ii. It’s in the hard times when we are most influenced by others.
b. The old cliché that states you will know who your true friends are when the difficult times hit and you look around and see who is left.
c. But these are times when relationships are forged and when influence is at its highest.
i. David used this opportune time to develop the leaders around him.
4. David never would have succeeded as king if it were not for the ones who labored beside him.
a. He knew the power of teamwork!
i. Together Each Achieves More!
b. Invest in others and your impact in life multiplies ten times over.
c. At the end of his life David reflects on these guys and gives them honor- Why? Because he loved them and so did God that’s why they are here in our text.
i. If you want to hear more on this check out my message from Memorial Day.
c. The truth of the matter is you either influence people positively or negatively. David affected his men and their families positively.
i. Remember what they were like in the beginning from I Samuel 22: 2: “All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader.”
1. Yes, the same crew has been transformed into mighty men of valor-men of integrity! Hero’s!
a. They are now - the who’s who in David’s army!
b. They are no longer called distressed, in debt (see how much they give to the building of the Temple) they are not discontented but blessed, prosperous and content in life.
ii. And here they are toward the end of a king’s reign watching him getting ready to die and David is teaching them how to die well.
1. Willimon states this, “Despite the quest for wellness, risk-assessment analysis, and good works of Ralph Nader, nobody has created a way to make life last forever. You and I will die. So we might as well get on with only really pressing business there is: figuring out how to die well. “
2. David here is preparing to die well- He is showing his men how to die well! He is showing his sons and family. He is showing a nation how a king should die!
a. Not like Saul did!
i. Saul was rejected by God.
ii. Saul sought counsel from the Devil.
iii. Saul rejected God’s plan for who should succeed him.
iv. Saul was out of his mind, depressed and a raving maniac.
v. Saul committed suicide
vi. Saul allowed his nation to be overrun by enemy because he disobeyed God.
vii. Saul led his family to death with him.
b. Remember, out of David’s legacy and ancestry would come another King who would show all of us how to die well. His name is Jesus! And he is calling all of us to die well!
i. Let’s remember His last words again:
1. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Luke 23:46: "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." (KJV)
2. It is finished. Last words according to John 19:30: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit." (KJV)
3. Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani? (My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?)
4. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Last words after Jesus resurrection according to Matthew 28:18-20.
iii. Back to one of David’s legacy’s his mighty men. The people are now saying, “Wow, have you seen David’s mighty men, talk about quality leaders and warriors. Hero’s who once where rift-raft and discontented, in debt, stressed out men and women’ Wow, how they are now “Mighty!” All because David influenced their lives positively.
1. You might be thinking- “What did he do to influence them positively.”
a. He taught them to praise the Lord no matter what.
b. He taught them that their strength came from the Lord.
c. He taught them to inquire of the Lord before they did anything.
d. He demonstrated how to handle failure and falling into sin.
e. He taught them how to serve with their whole hearts minds and souls and all their strength.
f. He taught them how to forgive and show mercy to your enemies.
g. He taught them how to deal with rebellion from your own family members.
h. He taught them who would raise them up out of the miry clay and bless them.
i. He taught them to put God first!
j. He taught them to never blame God for their own sin-recall when he counted his fighting men in II Samuel 24. He modeled to his men never to blame God for the consequences of their sin.
i. But instead drop to your knees, take responsibility “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong.”
ii. Then pay the price, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
iv. David was a leader who added value to others in their lives and his mighty men show the result of that positive influence in their lives.
1. Are you adding value to others lives- are you a positive influence?
2. Or are you a negative influence- being critical and negative, putting people you work with down, being mean to them, being selfish, just thinking of yourself, do you have a good work ethic or do you feel others owe you? Do you put yourself first? Think only of how everything benefits you? Do you take from your workplace or invest in it?
v. How about you do you remember those individuals who have influenced your life? Did you add value to their lives? Do you pray for them? Do you honor the time they invested in you?
1. A teacher?
2. A youth pastor?
3. A pastor?
4. Another Christian?
5. A friend?
6. A spouse?
7. A leader?
a. The Lord has placed people around you to influence you are you learning, being teachable or are you rejecting their counsel?
b. Are you investing in others? Are you mentoring someone else?
vi. Some of your hero’s are dead and gone but their legacy of influencing you and others lives on.
1. On their tombstones in your eyes is written “A hero who influenced my life and made me a better person!”
a. If you have been influenced positively, should you not influence others positively?
i. There is a movie that came out years ago called, ‘Pass it Forward” where a teacher challenges a class to influence three others and as a result change the world for the better. The class is suppose to help others out and it becomes a sweeping movement across the world.
1. How about you are you passing it forward?
ii. Why can’t this church start something in this area of the mid-west?
1. How about it can you decide to pass forward blessings to others around you?
a. Or do you think that everyone should just serve you?
2. Share about what KTIS does in Mpls.
vii. David’s mighty men went from serving David to serving Solomon. I expect that they influenced thousands. All because their leader influenced them.
1. So who are you influencing today – are you investing in others for the Kingdom?
d. David not only influenced his men but he influenced his whole nation:
i. He did this by demonstrating Godly leadership.
ii. He did this by instilling a passion for the Lord into the nation.
iii. He did this by praying for them in public and in private.
iv. He did this by public and private acts of praise, and worship.
v. He did this by public and private words of thanks to the Lord.
vi. He did this by wholeheartedly establishing the presence of God in Jerusalem.
1. He did this when he brought the Ark of the Covenant home!
2. He did this by leaving a vision for them to build God a permanent house in Jerusalem - The Temple!
vii. He did this by having the patience to wait on God and let Him place him on the throne of Israel.
viii. He did this by demonstrating a heart of humility and servant leadership.
ix. He did this by stressing the importance of placing God number one in their lives.
x. He did this by giving God credit for the victories.
1. When things at work go good and succeed do you give God the credit or do you take all the credit?
xi. He did this by letting his people know who owns everything – God!
xii. He did this by giving sacrificially to the Lord and encouraging others to do the same.
xiii. He did this by modeling how to admit when your wrong and how to repent and make things right.
e. David also influenced the enemies of the nation of Israel
i. He did this by being fearless in the face of his enemies and saying “God will hand you over to me!’
ii. He showed other nations who they should be serving and who they should be worshipping as God.
1. I am sure every time he won a victory he would tell the defeated foe. “God gave me this victory! I asked him how to defeat you and he gave me the battle plan.”
f. They watched as the Lord etched on his tombstone “A man after my own heart, who finished strong and did it right.”
T.S. – David influenced others positively everyone from his mighty men, to their families, to the nation as a whole, to the enemies of Israel, to even his own family. He did this throughout his life and also at his death and with his famous last words.
II. David left his mark in the minds of others by his last words to his family, friends and nation. (I Chronicles 28, 29)
a. They heard his final words before he died and these reinforced his legacy.
i. 2 Samuel 23:1-7: These are the last words of David: "The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs : "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: `When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.’ "Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire? But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns, which are not gathered with the hand. Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear; they are burned up where they lie."
ii. I Chronicles 28
1. 1. David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors. 2. King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. 3. But God said to me, `You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’ 4. "Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5. Of all my sons--and the LORD has given me many--he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6. He said to me: `Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’ 8. "So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. 9. "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10. Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work." 11. Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12. He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things… 20. David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished…”
iii. I Chronicles 29
1. 1. Then King David said to the whole assembly: "My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God. 2. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God--gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble--all of these in large quantities. 3. Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: 4. three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5. for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the LORD?" 6. Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7. They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. 8. Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9. The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. 10. David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, "Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 11. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 14. "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15. We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16. O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17. I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you… 23. So Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. 24. All the officers and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon. 25. The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before.
iv. I Kings 2:1-4
1. 1. When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2. "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, 3. and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, 4. and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: `If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’
a. They watched their father go through hard times and stay centered on God- he never abandoned God. They watched their Father, husband die and he never wavered in his love for the Lord.
b. He instilled the importance of serving the Lord to his family, friends and nation. He stressed the importance of keeping God as the central focus of their lives.
i. I Chronicles 28:1-7 – to the nation
ii. I Chronicles 28:8-21 – To Solomon also I Kings 2:1-4
iii. I Chronicles 29:1-9 – To the Assembly – the leaders of Israel and the followers.
iv. He made mistakes and he shared valuable information to those who were listening to his last words. Do this or suffer the consequences like I did.
v. He made mistakes with his family but you need to understand that even though you at one time influenced your family negatively the Lord with a changed individual can influence it positively.
1. Maxwell states, “Even though you’ve had a negative effect on others in the past, you can turn that around and make your impact a positive one.”
a. If you are alive you can still make it right!
c. He spoke to them about who really owns everything and gives them a proper view of God and other things in life (I Chron. 29:12-18).
i. In the end money means nothing, things mean nothing!
ii. Law states, “If you attempt to talk with a dying man about sports or business, he is no longer interested. He now sees other things as more important. People who are dying recognize what we often forget, that we are standing on the brink of another world.”
d. Leaving them a value system to follow. This is what David wants them to understand. Your faith is to establish your value system.
i. I Chron. 28:9: “"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”
ii. I Chron. 29:17-19: “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”
e. He did not just die saying everything is done he cast a vision telling them what they all needed to do after his death. He commissioned Solomon and the people to fulfill a vision.
i. The Vision: To build a Temple for God in Jerusalem.
ii. He left them with a vision to fulfill – he handed them plan and blueprints on how to build it.
iii. Not only did he cast the vision- He gave to it- financially!
iv. He provided most of the resources and charged the people to give to it to.
1. Which his leaders did to show the people the necessity of giving to God.
v. How about you when you die will their still be a vision cast?
T.S.-This section stresses the importance of our last words to those in our circle of influence and our last words should flow out of our relationship with God.
III. David left his mark in eternity by his relationship with the Lord.
a. David also influenced his family, nation and others especially by his relationship with God.
i. They saw him repent.
ii. They saw him inquire of the Lord for direction.
iii. They heard his testimonies of what the Lord had done for him.
iv. They watched him praise and worship God.
v. They saw his heart for God
1. They saw him dance
2. They read his Psalms
3. They heard him play his songs to God
4. They sang His songs to God.
vi. They watched him pray and fast and cry out to God
vii. They saw him take responsibility for his actions
b. You could say the Lord influenced David and David influenced others as a result he made a mark in history. His relationship with the Lord set up:
i. It set up the truth that God raises leaders up and takes them down.
ii. It set up the growth of a nation taking its borders from 6,000 sq. miles to 60,000 sq. miles.
iii. It setup the building of the temple of the Lord
iv. It set up the nation of Israel to be remembered forever by the world.
v. It paved the way for the Messiah
vi. It provided the sacred writings of the OT.
vii. It provided a living example of how God is faithful and merciful to imperfect people when they repent and take responsibility.
viii. It showed us what a man after God’s own heart looks like and acts like.
c. David left a legacy because of his love for the Lord.
i. He served the Lord with his whole heart.
ii. He danced before the Lord unashamed.
iii. He praised the Lord constantly for His faithfulness.
iv. He worshipped the Lord daily in song, in action and in love.
v. He prayed to Him reverently and listened to His voice.
vi. He repented of his wrongs, his sins and accepted his punishment of the choice of sin
T.S. - David got ready to die well and he reflected at the end on his relationship with the Lord and then he died!
IV. The Death of a king- it’s not the end for him it really is the beginning for all eternity.
a. Death is never the end it’s really the beginning of eternity which will last for longer than our earthly life.
i. Share the story of meeting Bill this week in the hospital.
1. His quote: “The only thing that matters in life is the things of the Lord!”
2. This was Solomon’s thoughts at the end of his life too:
a. Ecc. 12:13, 14:
i. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole ‹duty› of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
b. David has already received his reward from God for being faithful to Him.
c. Scripture references about David’s death:
i. I Chronicles 29:26-30: David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. He led over Israel forty years--seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king. As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer, together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.
ii. I Kings 2:10: Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David.
d. Quotes on death:
i. For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
ii. Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. YODA, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
iii. I have a certainty about eternity that is a wonderful thing, and I thank God for giving me that certainty. I do not fear death. I may fear a little bit about the process, but not death itself, because I think the moment that my spirit leaves this body, I will be in the presence of the Lord. BILLY GRAHAM, Newsweek, Aug. 14, 2006
iv. Death is nothing else but going home to God,
the bond of love will be unbroken for all eternity.
~ Mother Teresa ~
v. I believe there are two sides to the phenomenon known as death, this side where we live, and the other side where we shall continue to live. Eternity does not start with death. We are in eternity now.
~ Norman Vincent Peale ~
1. The above from: http://www.sapphyr.net/smallgems/quotes-death.htm
Conclusion:
Let us revisit a passage I Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the lord looks at the heart.’
This is David’s Epitaph:
“David a man after my own heart; he did everything I wanted him to do.” (GOD)
Here are some other famous Epitaph’s:
• George Washington (unknown)
o "Looking into the portals of eternity teached that
The Brotherhood of Man is inspired by God’s Word;
Then all prejudice of race vanishes away."
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
o "Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty I’m Free At Last."
Lyrics of an old Negro Spiritual he frequently quoted.
• Thomas Jefferson (by himself)
o "Author of the Declaration of American independence
of the statute of Virginia for religious freedom
and father of the University of Virginia"
Despite his being the 2nd Vice-President and 3rd President of the USA, these are not mentioned. He had said that he wanted to be remembered for what he gave to America, and not what America had given to him.
• Benjamin Franklin (himself)
o "The Body of B. Franklin, printer
Like the Cover of an old Book
Its Contents torn out
And stripped of its Lettering & guilding
Lies here food for worms
For, it will as he believed appear once more
In a new and more elegant edition
Corrected and improved by the Author."
• Al Capone (by himself)
o "My Jesus, mercy"
Closing thoughts you may be thinking:
Wait a minute you say, “He sinned and blew it!” Yes he did! You are
right. But he still did everything God wanted him to do- he repented-he took responsibility and accepted the consequences from God and did not turn his back on Him ever. His heart stayed passionate on God from his early years to his later years. Through hardship, injustice, family rebellion, sin, confrontation by God, success, wars, death, and boredom.
David lived the kind of life God desires you and I to live:
He wants to take you to go from a nobody to a somebody. He wants to make you a somebody by using you to defeat a few of the Goliath’s in this world. 2nd He wants to use you to affect a nation by your leadership in battle. 3rdly he wants you to know that you may for a time become a fugitive but don’t lose heart he is with you. 4thly he wants you to know that even if you’re a fugitive you need to have integrity, mercy and forgiveness. 5thly he may send you a bunch of discontented people to run with you but he wants you to positively influence their lives and turn them into mighty men and woman of God. 6thly when you become a leader make sure you guard your heart from falling away from Him. Say no to pride and idleness in the good life and be where God wants you to be.7thly He wants you to finish strong so your legacy will continue to affect others for eternity. In other words get ready to die and die well!
