Sermon Summary

This week, Darrin wrapped up our series through the life of David with the powerful word on the beautiful, chosen, and broken. We see in the life of David that it’s this paradox in one individual that can be beautiful, chosen, heart after God and broken and in misery and played out in his family generations over again. David was also a man, just like us. Even in his humanity, brokenness, sin, and mess, he was chosen by God and he was to bring forth the Messiah through his line. Even in our brokenness, God has a call and purpose for us in our lives.

1 Peter 2:4-6 (NIV)

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

  • The Bible is on our side and says you have a promise that you would never be put to shame.

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

  • When we get back to the simplicity of the Truth, He’s called us a chosen people, a royal priesthood, church, the body of Christ.
  • David is human, just like us. A man after God’s heart but a sinner in need of redemption and rescue.
  • David is a paradox, beautiful and anointed, but broken and sinful.

2 Samuel 24:1-4 (NIV)

1 Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” 2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.” 3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” 4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

  • In the moment of looking at God came to him, he looked at the enemy and was afraid.
  • He looks with his eyes in his flesh and he violates the Lord.
  • The journey of disobedience took almost 10 months.

2 Samuel 24:10-12 (NIV)

10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” 11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

  • David was overwhelmed and conscience-stricken which is a good sign.
  • There’s a level of conviction for those who are wanting to have a heart after God.

2 Samuel 24:14, 17 (NIV)

14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” 17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.”

  • David recognizes his sin, confesses his sin, and intercedes for people.
  • Thousands of people die in that plague, and David intercedes asking the Lord to stop believing that God’s mercy is strong and real.

2 Samuel 24:24 (NIV)

24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.

  • Repentance is hard and costly for David.
  • There was a recognition that the repentance was real and deep, and there was an honoring of the Lord and people in the midst of his repentance.

1. God pursued David, rescued David, and gave David a purpose

John 10:10 (NIV)

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

  • The enemy hates your soul and wants to keep you from who God created you to be.
  • The heart of freedom: following Jesus and doing what he said because it fills us up with new life.

Luke 19:10 (NIV)

10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

2. It’s an already, not yet reality.

  • The battle for your destiny and your freedom is constant and ongoing, but God has already won.
  • Our job is to trust and believe him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

  • Learn to fight, not with weapons of this world but with the weapons that he’s given us.
  • We have the power in Christ to take those thoughts captive, to tear down the strongholds that the enemy has built in our lives, to keep us from being who God said we are.

Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV)

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

  • This is a daily life of tearing down the strongholds in the name of Jesus.

Revelation 12:10 (NIV)

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

  • Think about David’s life and the destruction that followed generationally. But God had a different plan. He knows who he called David to be.
  • The enemy is working overtime over and over again to bring accusations to your mind.
  • But the beauty is we have the Word of God and the Truth and the Holy Spirit on our side to give us victory.

3. Humility and submission to God is our primary weapon in the fight

Examples of David’s repentance and humility

  • Sin of adultery and murder: When confronted with sin, he recognizes that he did that, and began to repent and cry out.
  • 2 Samuel 24: He was convicted, recognized his sin, repented, asked for forgiveness, and relented on behalf of the people.
  • When Saul pursues to kill him, he still honors him as king and refuses to kill him when he had the chance.
  • There’s humility that even though God had chosen him, he submitted that to the timing of the Lord.

Psalms 34:1-10 (NIV)

1 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

  • David turned to the Lord for salvation, rescue, and deliverance over and over again.

James 4:6-7 (NIV)
6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

  • We have to be willing to say, “I need your help.”
  • God is the one that does it.

5 Application Points

  1. Recognition
  2. Humility
  3. Repentance as a lifestyle
  4. Courage and fierceness for the Lord
  5. Healthy fear of the Lord

Processing Questions

  1. What are the ways that you disqualify yourself? But what does God say about you and his call and purpose over your life?
  2. What does 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 say about the weapons of the battle and what does it say about our ability in the battle?
  3. Are there areas where you are conscience-stricken like David? What can we learn about how David responded at that moment? (See 2 Samuel 24:10-17)
  4. Psalms are examples of David turning to the Lord for salvation, rescue, and deliverance. God alone is our help. Who or where do you turn to when you need help?

Application Questions

  1. Think about when you see God being after you and where His hand was in your life. Share with a friend or life group member what He has done for you.
  2. Identify the lies you’ve been believing and use the 4R prayer model (repent, receive, rebuke, and replace) this week to demolish strongholds and replace them with God’s truth.
  3. Do you struggle to ask God for help? Identify the areas of “I got this,” pray and ask the Lord for His help through your circumstances in humility and submission to Jesus.