Kingdom Growth
Thesis: David teaches us that there are two-core principles we need to have in our life if we want to grow the kingdom of God. First there is the necessity for a passionate love for God and a heart that communicates regularly with the Lord.
Texts: II Samuel 5-24
I Chronicles 11-29
Introduction: How do we expand the kingdom of God? This is the question we will seek to answer this morning. It’s a question that many ask periodically. I have people come in to my office and ask how can I help the kingdom of God to grow? I want to answer that question today by continuing to explore the life of David. “A man after God’s own heart.” Lets recap the biography of our hero David:
He went from a nobody to somebody- by defeating Goliath, and winning many battles for Israel.
He then went from a somebody to a fugitive– a person with power, fame, fortune, married into royality, commander in chief of an army.
He went from a fugitive with integrity to a king.
Then he became king and grew the kingdom.
David teaches us two kingdom growth principles from the way he grew and expanded the nation of Israel’s domain. In parallel we as the church of Jesus Christ can learn church growth principles by observing how David grew the kingdom. I do want to pause to say that the two principles we are going to look at today are rarely talked about in church growth circles.
I. Principle one is to have a passionate love for the Lord.
a. He wanted God’s presence in the city where he dwelled (II Samuel 6 & I Chronicles 13:1-4).
i. Note verse 3 “Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.”
ii. So he went and got the ark only to experience tragedy in the midst of trying to establish God’s presence in Jerusalem (I Chronicles 13:1-14).
1. Tragedy on the road to Jerusalem. The oxen stumble and the ark looks like its falling off the cart and Uzzah reaches up and touches it. He is killed by the power of the Lord because he touched the ark.
a. He forgot to follow the rules – Leviticus 3:10 “Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death.”
i. Time doesn’t change the mind of God when it comes to following his decrees!
ii. Yes the others where worshipping God but rules are rules- there are absolutes in the kingdom. Just like if you climb up to the top of our building and jump off you will get hurt or even killed. But do you here people say, “That was not fair God! He jumped and got hurt!”
b. God warned the nation of Israel that only the Levites where to transport the ark and enter it’s sanctuary. No one else! Even though this is years later God has not changed his mind on the rules- and this tragedy hurt deep.
c. But even though it made David angry it did not crush his love for the Lord because he searched to find out what they did wrong.
2. II Chronicles 15:13 gives us the rest of the story:
13. It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way."
a. If you fail the first time try again-but learn to do it right.
b. Do your homework and discover the truth. Don’t blame God for your problems when you don’t follow the rules!
c. By the way this all has to do with having a passion for the Lord.
i. Is your passion strong enough to endure a tragedy and to learn from it?
ii. Does your passion drive you deeper into the Lord to discover what you need to do different?
iii. Is you passion deep enough to be teachable?
iii. So eventually David brought home the Ark and passionately worshipped God in front of all Israel- They saw the king passionately, wholeheartedly, no holes bared worshipping the Lord.
1. This was the first time in a long time that Israel observed a leader –the leader showing who he served and loved.
2. He was so delighted at bringing home the ark he danced, and sang. Listen to this Psalm of passionate thanks!
3. I Chronicles 16:7-36:
7. That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD:
8. Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
* a passionate heart gives thanks-calls on his name-and testifies to his God’s goodness.
9. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
* a passionate heart sings to him-not from the head but from the heart-with everything within him.
10. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
* a passionate heart seeks the Lord and rejoices when they experience him-this is not about human zeal it’s about a heart to heart communion with the Lord!
11. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
11. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
* a passionate heart recalls his awesome deeds but does not forget the judgments- on Uzzah?
13. O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14. He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
15. He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,
16. the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.
17. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
18. "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."
19. When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,
20. they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
21. He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:
22. "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
23. Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.
24. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
26. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
27. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.
28. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength,
29. ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
30. Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"
32. Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33. Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
34. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
35. Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise."
36. Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD."
a. Psalms 105:1-15
b. Psalms 96:1-13
c. Psalms 106:1,47,48
4. David’s wife Michal in II Samuel 6:16 shows us a heart that is not passionate for the Lord she did not like what David did – She did not like that he took off his royal robe-( I never read he was naked-he most likely had a loin cloth on). But David did not care what others thought – he had no image to guard. He told her point blank in verse 21 and 22”..It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from this house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel-I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
a. Image is over rated and not what God is in to- he is not into what you appear to look like on the outside. He wants you – not an image –but the literal real deal.
i. This is what brings honor and respect.
ii. Genuineness- No image- what you see is who I am! Not above others, not a leader above worshipping the Lord openly.
b. A passionate heart bursting with love for Him.
i. The question to ask yourself – In who’s image are you made!
ii. What image do you illuminate to others?
iii. Whose image do you want others to look like?
iv. Really the question is “Who or what do you worship?”
1. Yourself?
2. Others?
3. The Devil?
4. Money?
5. Fame?
6. House?
7. Car?
8. Your created image?
a. Stacey Padrick shares a story I would like you to hear:
Riiinnnggg. The doorbell outside the lobby of my apartment building alerted me to the unexpected visitor. I suspected it might be the man I had been admiring for some time. But my immediate thought was, whoever it is, I can’t answer it! My apartment and I were both a mess, and I was not prepared for a Saturday morning visitor….”why was I so reluctant to welcome him in, Lord?” I questioned. Having recently studied the topic of idolatry, the answer hit me hard; I had made my image into an idol. What people thought of me had become too important. Though I could have given 100 softer-sounding explanations, I knew that only this one revealed the root of my response. “Idolatry/ that sounds a little extreme,” one might argue. “Isn’t idolatry about pagans in the Old Testament bowing down before gold or wooden images? We don’t prostrate ourselves before statues; what does idolatry have to do with us today (Discipleship Journal issue 111, pg. 28)?
v. Stacey states, “When we allow anything apart from God to rule us, compel us, or control us, we have created an idol “(30).
1. This applies to letting our “image” control our actions and behavior.
2. When we are always saying “I will not do that, what will people think!’
3. Pray in public! No way what will people think!
4. Take a stand for the Lord! No way what will people think!
5. Let people know I sinned! No way what will people think!
6. Worship God with my whole heart! No way what will people think!
7. Let me ask you- what will God think?
a. Maybe your stepping forth in one of these scenarios will change a person’s life. Maybe in one of these scenarios God will use you to lead someone to the truth.
b. Think about it! (pause)
b. David’s passionate love for the Lord motivated him to build the Lord a grand house. David always was thinking of the Lord –always pursuing after Him.
i. He was focused on the question “What can I do for the Lord?
1. Our daily Reality Check tells us there is really only one thing we can do for the lord – Love Him with our whole heart mind and soul and give him thanks and praise!
ii. In II Samuel 7:1-17 – David seeks the Prophets advice on building.
1. So David inquires of the prophet Nathan if he could do this.
1. After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
2. he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."
3. Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."
4. That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying:
5. "Go and tell my servant David, `This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in?
6. I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling.
7. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" ’
8. "Now then, tell my servant David, `This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock (a nobody) to be ruler over my people Israel ( a somebody).
9. I have been with you wherever you have gone, ( a fugitive) and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth ( a king).
10. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning
11. and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "`The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you:
* It always amazes me how you cannot out give God! David wanted to build the Lord a grand house and for his gesture God grants him the blessing of establishing his house for ever through letting Jesus be born through his lineage.
12. When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.
* God will establish the kingdom through David’s ancestors.
13. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men.
15. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
16. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’"
* How? Through Jesus Christ!
17. Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
iii. How many of you are dedicated to seeing to it that the Lord’s “presence’ is established forever in Amery!
1. David wanted to build a place where God’s presence dwelled permanently. He did not want it ever to leave.
2. He wanted to secure the Kingdom for eternity- David knew that for the kingdom to last forever there had to be permanent residence for the Lord in Jerusalem.
3. He knew that without God there would be no kingdom let alone any growth!
4. But God read his heart and made a promise to him that there would come a King – an ancestor of David that would reign forever.
a. His name Jesus- The King of Kings!
b. CEV editor states, “ David was overwhelmed by the grand promise the Lord made to him and his descendants: a never-ending family of kings. But even David at this time couldn’t understand what the Lord said about ‘one of your descendants’ (v. 16). David and his descendants would each fail in his role as king to some extent-all except One! That King would leave his throne in heaven to become a servant on earth and be rejected by society. Then he would return to his throne and rule his own people with righteousness – forever” (333).
iv. New Life is one of many churches placed in the world by God to draw people to his presence. They illuminate to the world that God dwells in the world. He does this through Christians like you.
1. The New Testament tells us that when we become Born-again the Spirit of the Lord dwells in us ( I Cor. 3:16,17).
a. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him: for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”
b. Psalm 111:1 “I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.”
2. God’s spirit dwells in you -right-then when we all come together weekly we are assured that where two or three are gathered in His name there He is in their midst. In other words his presence is here! When believer’s assemble with a passion for Him, He is there.
a. This is why scripture exhorts us not to forsake the assembly of the believers.
i. Lev. 23:3. "`There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.”
ii. This is found about 7x in Lev. 23
b. Why because kingdom growth occurs through the assembly of believers when they come with passionate hearts for Jesus.
i. Acts 5:12-16
c. It’s a place where God’s presence is manifested in the lives of changed individuals.
i. People then see – God’s transforming power done in others, miracle working power- and they in essence then experience God themselves-Why? Because truly transformed people impact others.
v. Every time you come through that door you should experience God.
1. In essence it’s up to you believer’s! Where is your heart?
vi. Every time a seeker walks through that door they need to experience God.
1. How? By observing and seeing passionate heart’s for Jesus.
2. Reality Check- Your behavior to others makes a difference!
vii. That’s why this church is on this corner! Kingdom Growth is about expanding the borders of the church from the Christians to the soon to be Christians. That’s how you grow the Kingdom.
T.S.- David showed us that we need to have passionate hearts for the Lord to effect kingdom growth but we also need to have consistent communication with the Lord to cause kingdom growth.
II. The second principle we learn is it is vital to keep in constant communication with the Lord on what to do and not to do in growing the kingdom.
a. I Chronicles 14:8-17
8. When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them.
9. Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim;
10. so David inquired of God: "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, I will hand them over to you."
* David did not just run into battle he asked God what to do!
11. So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand." So that place was called Baal Perazim.
12. The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn them in the fire.
13. Once more the Philistines raided the valley;
14. so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, "Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.
* Notice David asked again what he should do-he did not assume that he should do it the same way as he had before.
* Just because it worked that way once does mean we do it the same way again- we should seek wisdom insight and guidance from the Lord in every situation. Don’t get in a rut!
15. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army."
16. So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
17. So David’s fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him.
i. David throughout his reign relied on God for direction. This insight, understanding and God ordained strategies gave David the victories in battles. God through his communication with David showed him how to defeat the different enemies.
1. Note different enemies required different battle plans.
2. A lesson that churches and Christians need to learn.
3. One vision for one church may not work for the church down the road fighting on a different front.
b. David’s heart after God is reflected in his sincere prayers to the Lord. Keys here include communicating with God, which has to do with asking-seeking-listening-and then following His directions. Then after the victory give thanks with a sincere heart. In II Samuel 7:18-29 lets us listen to David’s prayer of thanks as it flows from a sincere heart.
18. Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?
* David always had a humble heart- that creates sincerity in prayer.
19. And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?
* David is overwhelmed with thanks to receive the blessing of God.
20. "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD.
* He was speechless because he knew he did not deserve this honor.
21. For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
22. "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.
23. And who is like your people Israel--the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?
24. You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.
25. "And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised,
26. so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, `The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established before you.
27. "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, `I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer.
28. O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
29. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."
i. Do you want to see the kingdom of God grow – then you need to pray sincere prayers to the Lord like David.
1. Get rid of the head stuff!
2. Get rid of the traditional mumbo jumbo!
3. Just pray out of your heart to the Lord!
4. Quit repeating prayers, write your own!
5. The Lord wants communication that is real and genuine not phony baloney!
6. Not memorized scripts!
7. Not meaningless words over and over!
ii. They need to come from the heart not the head. Big difference!
c. The church and individual Christians need to “fall on their knees” and “wear out those jeans”- they need to commune with God and connect with Him. We need to realize that “God works through the prayers of his people” – God works through those who are men and women after his own heart.
i. Pastor Dutch states: Without question, humans were forever to be God’s link to authority and activity on the earth (I add so as to expand the kingdom!). Here we have, I believe, the reason for the necessity of prayer. God chose, from the time of the Creation, to work on the earth through humans, not independent of them. He always has and always will, even at the cost of becoming one. Though God is sovereign and all powerful, Scripture clearly tells us that He limited Himself, concerning the affairs of earth, to working through human beings. Is this not the reason the earth is such a mess? Not because God wills it so, but because of His need to work and carry out His will through people. Is not the story woven throughout Scriptures:
God and humans, for better or worse, doing it together?
God needing faithful men and women?
God needing a race through whom to work?
God needing Prophets?
God needing judges?
God needing a human Messiah?
God needing human hands to heal, human voices to speak and feet to go?
Doesn’t He need us to ask for His kingdom to come, His will to be done (see Matthew 6:10)? Surely He wouldn’t want us to waste our time asking for something that was going to happen anyway, would He (45)?
d. The importance of intercessory prayer in kingdom growth.
ii. Dutch Sheets thoughts:
1. Jesus is the victor –we’re the enforcers; Jesus is the redeemer-we’re the releasers; Jesus is the Head-we’re the Body….Yes, Jesus prevailed through the sent one. So the partnership goes on- God and humans. But the correct pattern is critical: My prayers of intercession releases Christ’s finished work of intercession. His work empowers my prayers-my prayers release His work. Mine extends His-His effectuates mine. Mine activates His-his validates mine. In Kingdom Enterprises we’re not in the production department. We’re in the distribution … BIG difference. He’s the generator. We’re the distributors (44,45).
2. Prayer – communication is the other key to kingdom growth- reference Jim Cymbala’s video of changed lives.
Conclusion: So what is the answer to our question, “How do we expand the kingdom of God?’
1. It starts with a passionate heart. If I want to help impact kingdom growth then I need to have a passion for the Lord. Not human zeal from the head but spiritual passion for Jesus from the heart!
2. The second thing I need to do is to communicate with the Lord on a consistent basis. It’s to be real, genuine communication-not phony baloney. It needs to be sincere and a regular practice because this is what God desires. He wants a genuine authentic
relationship from us!
***I promise you if you do these two things you will see Kingdom growth!
