Sermon – Building A Life of Biblical Success
Introduction: In the Bible, success is not about achieving things. Rather, biblical success is about faithfulness to God. When King David was about to die, he shared these words about success with his son, Solomon: “Do what the LORD your God commands and follow his teachings. Obey everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you will be a success, no matter what you do or where you go” (1 Kings 2:3). Notice that David did not tell his son to focus on acquiring wealth, building up his kingdom, or beating his enemies. David told his son to focus on God and being faithful to His Word.
Just what you want and need today? Is it someone else talking to you about the next chapter of your life? By this time, you have heard enough speeches, lessons, and teaching to last a while, but if you will give with me a few moments, I believe I have some thoughts from the Lord to share with you from a few verses of Psalms 78.
In Psalms 78, the psalmist catalogues of God's dealings with his people, even from their coming out of Egypt to the conclusion of the reign of David. God commanded that his works among his people not be forgotten, but that the father should deliver his former doings to their children, that they might be both comforted and instructed, to prevent them from sin, and persuade them to fear God and keep his commandments.
Because of sin and rebellion, we see 1. God's wrath grows hot against the people. 2. God greatly despised Israel for her rebellion. 3. Forsook the tabernacle and abandoned Shiloh. 4. Delivered up the ark into the hand of the enemy. 5. Gave the people to the sword of their enemy. 6. And gave up the priests unto death. 7. And God brought upon them general desolation, Ps 78:59-64.
Yet, once more, God in His mercy and grace 1. Remembers His People in mercy. 2. Moves His presence from the tabernacle in Shiloh to a permanent temple in Zion. 3. God chose Judah as His tribe and David to be their king. 4. During the reign of David, God caused them to prosper in all things, Ps 78:65-72. In this text, we see the goodness and severity of God. The Psalmist desires that we would learn wisdom by what those in the text have suffered.
There are three principal parts in this Psalm: I. A preface, in which the psalmist exhorts men to learn and declare the way of God, Ps 78:1-9. II. A continued narrative of God's administration among the people, and their stubbornness, disobedience, and refusal to obey or comply with God’s authority; together with the punishments which God inflicted upon them, Ps 78:9-67. III. His mercy, manifested in the midst of judgment; that he did not cut them off, but, after the rejection of Ephraim, (Israel,) made choice of Judah, Zion, and David.
Listen to the last three verses: Psalm 78:70 -72 “He chose David his servant from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”
As we congratulate you, I charge you to remember. Israel’s struggled greatly because had a short memory. They forgot things that David remembered. They forgot where they came from, they fail to build their character and they failed to improve their skills. David never forgot his humble beginnings.
I. Remember Your History - where you came from, who you are, whose you are
A. God took David from the sheep pens – Promotion comes from God.
1. It was hard to get much lower than a shepherd. David was a poor shepherd.
2. David’s family didn’t even consider him to be material for God’s choosing.
3. God defeated David’s enemies and gave him victory.
B. Remembering was an important thing for the people of Israel.
1. Passover was a time to remember where they had been
2. Passover was a time to remember what God had done.
3. Memorial stones and monuments to aid their memory.
3. God gave them His Laws, rituals, commandments, sacrifices to aid their memory.
C. Remember where you came from physically
1. Remember your town
2. Remember your position
3. Remember the people. No matter what you accomplish in life, never believe that you are better than anyone else is or that you deserve promotion more than they do.
D. Remember where you came from spiritually
1. Remember what it was like before you knew Jesus as your savior
2. If you cannot remember a time when you did not know Jesus, think of what your life could be like if you didn’t know him
3. Remember the highs and lows of serving Jesus. Keep a journal…you’ll be surprised what you learn in life.
4. Remember the past, but do not live in it
a. Spiritually, you cannot live off the way God worked yesterday.
b. Seek God everyday
E. Where you come from, physically and spiritually, will be a tool in God’s hands to prepare you for the future.
II. Build your character - The first statement about David’s performance as King was about his integrity, not his ability, not his military accomplishments, not his victory over Goliath, but his integrity.
1. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness; it’s a firm adherence to a code of honor; it’s a the quality or state of being complete or undivided.
2. Integrity is being the same inside and out; there are no double standards or justifications.
Today, there is a national debate over whether character matters or not—does your private life affect your public life? People are asking questions about things we have always known. Integrity matters. From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Our actions will follow our speech.
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts.” (THE MESSAGE)
B. Have character, don’t be one. One of your greatest assets will be your character. Your gift can bring you before great men, but only good character can keep you there.
C. Character is built intentionally, one block at a time, by consistently making the right choices over and over again until they become a part of your nature. Build your character!
III. Finally, Perfect your skill(s) David led God’s people with skillful hands
1. This skill had to be learned
2. He knew how to lead sheep, but how do I lead people?
3. He knew how to protect sheep, but how do I protect people?
4. He did not instantly know how to lead and protect people; He open to keep learning.
5. He learned from others in leadership, from other teachers, and by personal experience.
6. He learned from his constant communion with God, his prophets and his word.
7. He worked hard and gave it his best.
Colossians 3:23-24—Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
C. No matter what you do in life, do your best.
Conclusion: The road ahead of you will be complex. There will be times when you actually wish for the days when things were easier, and you had limited responsibilities. There will be twists and turns that you can never anticipate. When they come, you will have to decide how to handle them. The good news is that you will never have to handle them alone. You are well able to succeed. You have been hand picked for the assignment. Every test and trial you overcame has prepared you for this moment.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
When David came from the sheep pens, He did not realize God had prepared him for the moment. He used the same work ethic, integrity, and skill when he was a shepherd as when he became King, it was a result of God’s work in his life. 1 Samuel 16:13 says, “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power."
Your success will require not only knowledge, integrity, and skill, it will require the Spirit of the Lord operating in your life and ministry. What I’ve shared with you is not some kind of magic formula for life and ministry. These things will not make everything go your way, nor will they keep you from experiencing your share of heartaches, disappointments, and hardships. However, they will help keep you grounded and in tune with the source of all good things in your life—God. Remember where you have come from. Build your character. Develop your skills. Do all of those things under God’s direction and you’ll have a better life and ministry than you could ever dream possible. You are built for this! You are professional grade.
