None Like You

Have your Bibles with you today.

Turn with me if you would to second Samuel and we are in chapter 7 can be looking at verses 18 through 22. To begin with.

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said to him, our Lord God, and what is my house that you brought me thus far. Yet, this was a small thing in your eyes the Lord God, you spoke and also your servant's house for a great while to come. And this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God, and what more can David say to you, for you know your servant, O Lord God, because of your promise and according to your own heart you brought about all this greatness to make your servant know it. Therefore, your great, O Lord God, for there is none like you and there is no God beside you, according to all that we've heard with our ears.

Spray heavenly father we been studying the life of David for months now. We seen victories and we have seen failures we see emotional highs and the dregs of depression. But in today's passage we see deep humility. David is experienced your blessings, the fulfillment of your promises in the glory of your presence is set before the ark of the covenant, never as David felt so small and never as David P as God appeared to David was such glory in the light of this, the most powerful man in the world is broken and humbled father.

That's what we need here at Grace Church we need to be humbled. We need to experience your conscious presence. We need to be wild by your provision.

We need to marvel at your mercy.

This chapter David sits right before the ark of the covenant. Your presence is so real, so sweet, so all-consuming, and that nothing else in the world really matters Jesus we want to experience that heavenly father we have many in our church right now their suffering. We pray for their healing.

Tom Huntley read Dee's Jim Laufer, Jim Palmer, Linda Catherine Nancy Malone.

We pray for Marie character in the death of her dad, comfort them and heal them. Pray for Carol Laufer who just experienced the death of her dad last evening. Pray for Bev Downey's and her sister that they have had to take to the hospital this morning. They think it might be a heart problem. Lord, we pray for all these that you would have mercy on them comfort them who are grieving, heal those who are sick and hurting. They with him in great power heavenly father keep my lips from air this morning.

Help me Lord that I might experience your anointing to speak with clarity is very great and glorious message from second Samuel, and we assess prayer in the holy and wonderful and precious name of Jesus a man you may be seated.

What you imagine a messenger coming to your house and bringing you a message and that message is some great news that you are going to receive a great amount of money that there has been distant relative of yours that you didn't even know existed that died and left you in his wheel several million dollars, or maybe a messenger comes to your house and tells you that you're going to be promoted at your work that you are going to be lifted up and and given a promotion where you can to be the president of an entire company that you are to be the one that's responsible for hiring and firing in all the decisions will be left up to you, or maybe something like this you find out that Charlotte has a gun not going to bring parade right down the center of this town of Charlotte and it's a parade. This can be in your honor there to play songs that you love and they're going to have floats with your picture on it and not only that, but they are going to really just lift you up with all the people on the streets shouting and cheering you on was staggering as those things might be. I want you to know that they are nothing in comparison to what David is experiencing right here as the prophet Nathan gives him a prophecy that just shakes him to his boots.

An unbelievable prophecy listen to his words from second Samuel chapter 7 verses 12 through 13 when your days are fulfilled and you live down with your fathers. I will raise up your offspring after you shall come from your body and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever lite. This was the high point in David's life. That was a great day when David was 16 years old and the and the prophet Samuel took the horn of woolen and poured it over his head anointed him to be the next king of Israel. It was a great day was a great day for David when he went out on the vats of the valley and and's squared up with the Goliath, who was the great Philistine giant and he took out his slingshot and he said the Goliath uvula die this day for this battle is the Lord's Riesling that some slingshot in the and the stone went flying through the air and killed Goliath and and he ran over and he took glossing sword and severed his head from his body was a great day for David when he killed 200 Philistine soldiers in order to pay the dowry for his wife, Michael was a great day for David when he killed the Amalekites destroyed them and took back his family and brought them back home again. It was a great day for David when thousands of Israelites stood out in front of his home as he was being anointed as the king of Israel. It was a great and glorious day but I want you know those days were nothing in comparison to what is going on right here as the prophet Nathan gives him a prophecy and says God is going to make you a house. David that the Messiah is going be born in your bloodline, the King of Kings that Messiah, the anointed one is going to have your name all eternity. He will be called the son of David. Verse 18 says that David when in and sat before the Lord. I can't tell you how much this passage excites my soul. This is is unbelievable. I read this. These passages many many times will without ever realizing that there was a huge difference between the tabernacle of Moses and the tabernacle of David your member the tabernacle of Moses. It was very unapproachable. There were two rooms and in the first dream. Call the holy place, and only the priests could go into that room. The second room that was separated by veil was called the holy of holies and and behind it was the ark of the covenant, and only one person could go in that room and that only one time a year on the day of atonement, and that was that was the high priest, the ark of the covenant was behind the veil in the holy of holies it was pretty much unseen to everyone except the high priest and it was very much unapproachable. David's tabernacle is different.

Most scholars believe there were not two rooms in David's tabernacle that there was only one which meant that there was no veil, which meant that that is you went by the, the tabernacle of David, you could look into the door and you could actually see the ark of the covenant boats is that so the Shekinah glory of God would shine out of that door and not only was that going on with there were singers and there were musicians and there were dancers that were they are worshiping the Lord with all their heart is tabernacle of Moses, there was no music, there was no singers was the dancing. It was very very solemn.

The tabernacle of Moses was a picture of solemnity. It was a picture of of the unapproachable holiness of God.

It was a picture of God's law, the tabernacle of David is a picture of joy.

I believe that David wrote many of the Psalms that he wrote, as he was sent seated right there in the door of the tabernacle of David and is the presence of God the Holy Spirit just poured over him, inspiring him infallibly to write many of the Psalms that he wrote something it happened right there at the at the tabernacle where was the tabernacle of David. It was up on Mount Zion, the highest elevation in all of Jerusalem and over in Psalm 50 verse two written by Asaph, the Scripture says this I was sorry and the perfection of beauty, God shines forth and when Solomon built the temple and went right back to the moat mosaic pattern of the tabernacle where there were to once again two rooms. The first dream the holy place the second room. The holy of holies separated by a 6 inch thick veil and I would submit to you today that just 33 years of David's writing in Jerusalem during that 33 years that that this was a very unique time in Israel's history. It wasn't just the priest who had access and availability to go before the ark of the covenant all the people of Israel were able to go right by. They are looking to the door and see the ark of the covenant first Chronicles chapter 21 verse 29 is speaking of a time after David had established it and place that tabernacle up on Mount Zion. It happened right after the passage that were looking at today. I will read you that passage it says this in first Chronicles 129 through 30 for the tabernacle of the Lord which Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon, but David could not go before it to inquire of God for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord boats that tells us without a doubt that this particular time. There were two tabernacles, the tabernacle of David up on Mount Zion and the tabernacle of Moses that was at Gibeon, the priest at that at Gibeon were still offering the sacrifices they were going through the motions on the day of atonement that they were they were's taken, the, the blood and bringing it into the into the holy of holies they high priest would do that. Where was ark of the covenant ark of the covenant was not in the other the tabernacle of Moses at Gibeon, the ark of the covenant was in on Mount Zion in the tabernacle of David, so what was that saying I think it was saying that the worship there was absolutely futile folks is this not what was going on was a Jewish religious leaders. When Jesus died on the cross what happened.

The Jewish religious leaders were just going to continue to write all worshiping as I always had killing the animals going to the sacrifices doing all that.

But what happened when Jesus died when Jesus died on the cross as he was dying as he was breathing his last breath God rent the the veil in the temple from the top to the bottom. Why did God do that to make a statement that now everyone who would believe in Christ had access to the very presence of God himself. Now it was never again necessary to kill an animal for the blood of Jesus Christ was sufficient to wipe away all of our sins. Not only was it unnecessary to kill an animal to kill an animal.

After Jesus died on the cross for us is absolute blasphemy that with that in mind and want to go to the New Testament to the book of acts.

This is the great Church Council meeting at your member that the Gentiles were coming to Christ and and the Jews just Jewish Christians did not handily us, as I had this big Council meeting and James who is the pastor of the first church in Jerusalem and he was the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ stood up to explain what was going on is very interesting when he explains what's going on with all these leave these Gentiles coming even being part of the church. He uses the illustration of the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David, listen to what he says next 15 verse 14 to 17 Simon is declared how God at the first visit to the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name, and with this the words of the prophets agree just. It is as it is written after this I will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins. I will set it up so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who does all these things. James said this is a new day because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

The door has been opened that people from every tribe kindred Tonya nation might come to be saved might come to know the Lord might come to experience salvation for all of eternity. James is saying this I think I can. David's day. The presence of God was now approachable.

The New Testament priesthood is not is not limited to just the tribe of Levi, but every true believer is now a priest every true believer. Every child of God has access to the very presence of God not set all that because verse 18 tells us that David went to and where did he go into. He went into the tabernacle of David, the Scripture says he sat before the Lord. We taste something that could never have happened at the at the tabernacle of Moses has a tabernacle of Moses, only the priest could go into the holy place, and only the high priest one time a year could go into the holy of holies. David was not a priest, David was a king David tribe was not the tribe of Levi's tribe was the tribe of Judah, he would have no right to go into the the tabernacle of Moses, he could not have done that. So what is he doing David like a little child is going to sit down before the ark of the covenant just like a little boy would sit down and converse and talk with his daddy. David sat before the ark to pray. Now the passage I read you a moment ago from first Chronicles chapter 21 it says that David was afraid to approach the tabernacle of Moses, man, what a difference. There is here.

What a difference it is and how he approaches the tabernacle of David puts no fear here is just fellowship.

RC Sproul AW Pink and John Calvin believe that David is actually sitting right before the ark of the covenant. Let me share with you what Calvin said.

He said David having heard the message which was brought to him by Nathan the prophet entered in and sat down before the Lord will this was a sign that he had chosen a secret place and then that he gave himself totally over to recognizing the benefits of God as if he had been in his presence. It would certainly have been the case that he went down to the place where the ark of the covenant was placed because the holy Scripture calls it the face of God. Having said that, I will submit you today that we have before us. One of the greatest prayers and all the Old Testament I rank it right up there with Solomon's prayer of dedication of the temple. I like it right up there with Jehoshaphat's prayer when the three enemy armies were coming in surrounding them look like certain doing Jehoshaphat prayed, he said, Lord, we don't have any power and we don't have any, might we don't have any strength. We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you write it right up there with Daniel's prayer in Daniel chapter 9, when the people of Israel had been Judah had been exiled, and they were in babbling and Daniel prays a prayer of national repentance and Hezekiah's prayer for help during the siege of Syria by King so natural, where the Lord intervened after after Hezekiah's prayer hundred 85,000 Syrians were killed and one day those prayers will cry for help. They were great prayers.

But David's prayer.

Here's different than these. He starts off with a prayer of thanksgiving. He continues with the prayer of praise on share with you three points today. Number one, a prayer of thanksgiving. Look at verses 18 to 21 then King David. When Anna set before the Lord and said to allow Lord God of what is my house that you brought me thus far and yet this was a small thing in your eyes are Lord God, you spoke also of your servant's house for a great while to come in. This is instruction for mankind, Lord God, and what more can David say to you, for you know your servant, the Lord God because of your promise and according to your own heart you brought about all this greatness to make your servants know what man this passage rings my bail. David is most politically powerful man on the face of the earth when he says jump. People say how high when he gives an order. It gets done. Now what is he doing he is seated before the ark of the covenant. He is experiencing the very presence of the Lord, and he realizes that he is nothing but a sinner saved by grace, he realizes that if he ever does anything right is because God orchestrated it and God gave him the power to do it. He is absolutely overwhelmed by Nathan's prophecy.

Nathan prophesies that the Messiah will be born in his bloodline that the creator of the universe that the that the anointed one, the Messiah of the Christ the son of God will be for all of eternity: son of David. David is overwhelmed with that undeserved honor reminds me kind of Isaiah chapter 6 and Isaiah went into the temple of the Lord.

He saw the Lord, high and lifted up on his throne his train filled the temple and the sera from the angel's work encircling the, the, the throne of God singing holy, holy, holy, and Isaiah just emotionally fell apart. He said what was me, for I am undone from an unclean man in the midst of an unclean people. I think David is experiencing some of that same emotion, but we live in a time where true humility is downplayed. We think it's kinda cool to be cocky, cool to be overconfident and proud.

Scripture says that God that God despises the Prelude that God hates the Prelude he resist the proud and gives grace to the humble. Psalm hundred 15 verse one.

David says it this way.

Nothing to us Lord not earned us, but to your name. Give glory for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness. David would not compare yourself to other people, you know, when we start doing that. We always find somebody it's worse than a stately David wouldn't do that. He compared himself to God and he compared his righteousness to the righteous standard that God had given and what did he do, he cried out he said Hua my Lord and then nine times in this prayer.

He speaks to God about him being a servant or slave to this God. He literally gushes with thanksgiving as I was studying this passage today. I had to think about my own prayer life and I got a little bit embarrassed and ashamed when it comes to petitioner pretty good at that. Asking God things that I need but when it comes to Thanksgiving I come way way short, I started realizing just how much I need to thank God I need to thank God for the air that I breathe. I need to thank God, just for my wife that he's given me. I need to thank God for about the help of my family. I need to think God for my salvation that I sure didn't deserve.

In Romans chapter 1, Paul teaches us about the process of reprobation. What is that it is a process of a person just going right down to the very yet and that person's starts off by by committing sin, he gets harder and harder it gets further and further away from God until he gets to the point we didn't have anything to do with God or the things of God anymore. He become so sinful, so anti-God that he becomes an absolute reprobate house that start where we don't have to guess friend Romans chapter 1 verse 21, Paul tells us he says he is for although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened.

The process of reprobation starts with an unthankful heart and we usually think of unthankful.

This is an oversight.

Not a big deal of peccadilloes, so to speak.

Not any any huge thing at all. But God tells us that it will put us on the path of destruction is why Paul said in first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 18 in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

So once again picture David. He said lay on the door the tabernacle. He is humble before God's presence at the ark of the covenant right before him, and he starts his prayer with thanksgiving. Richard Phillips said this David perceive the glory of Christ is far out shining his own people held in spirit. Another son, then Solomon, another temple that that built a stone in Cedar another kingdom that the early will earthly one on his throne. He had sat. He sat people holds a scepter and a crown of which is owned on Mount Zion were only feeble types, DM and shadowy images in one of his discourses to the Jews, Jesus pointed out how Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. The same could be said of David as he perceive the glory of Christ to God's promise to his own line in Jesus words he saw it and was glad in all his humble considerations. David realizing his elevation did not result because of any dignity in his own bloodline, or by any industry or virtue of its own. As John Calvin observed he remembered that he had not earned the royal dignity that it was a free gift of God is teaches us how to feel deeply. We are indebted and obligated to God and have great is his mercy to us point to a prayer of praise. Look at verse 22 through 24. Therefore, you are great Ola Lord God, for there is none like you and there is no God beside you, according to all that we have heard with our ears and who is like your people Israel. The one nation on earth. And God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people whom you redeem from your cell from Egypt, a nation and its gods you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever and you oh Lord, became their God puts there's a difference between Thanksgiving and praise. We thank God for what he does or what he's done and we praise God for who he is entitled this message today. None like him this amazing as you go through the Scriptures and you look at the spiritual giants and how they pray, how often they use that phraseology how often they say, oh God, there is none like you think of the Israelites who were delivered by God at the Red Sea and there standing there on the shore with their mouths hanging open and absolute all. I think back to what just happened. The Lord opened up the Red Sea form two huge walls of water. The children of Israel went through on dry land. I got on the other side and then the Egyptian army came flying in after them, the Lord let loose his power. The water came crashing down and just totally destroyed the entire Egyptian army. What did Moses say he prayed this who is like you oh Lord among the gods who is like you majestic in holiness also in glorious deeds doing wonders Solomon's dedicating the temple he praise God saying the Essen first Kings 820 30 Lord God of Israel there's no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love your servants who walk before you with all their heart and Joss that cried out the Lord when it appeared that he was going to be destroyed by the three enemies are enemy armies.

This is 20 pray Lord, we don't have any might know of any power would only strength, but her eyes are on you and in that same prayer.

He said this, O Lord God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven. You rule over all the kingdoms of the nation in your hand or power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Then Jeremiah the prophet said this in Jeremiah 10 verse six there is none like you oh Lord, you are great in your name is great in moderate nowise praise necessary does God need our compliments. Is this some kind of egotistic need. On his part on the two weeks ago and our Wednesday night prayer meeting. Eugene was teaching us on Psalm 22 and he brought up the fact that God doesn't need our praise because God doesn't need anything, but we're the ones that need to praise him so so what are we doing to to get better at praise. We study with the word of God says about who this God is we study the word of God so that we can understand his character so that we can see his attributes and as we do that then then this desire to praise just begins to well up in us.

So what happens if we squelch it if we just hold that down then we we don't get near the joy we miss out on the joy, our joy is multiplied when we praise our God publicly when we come here we come here to praise God we come here to worship this great God, we ask you something if you had cancer and the doctors told you you were going to die and that all of a sudden you were totally completely healed, which you not want to tell somebody about it, would you not want to go out to a man look at what happened to me. I was healed of this cancer or what if your son just got promoted and these are present of a new company teased the president now would you not get excited about want to tell somebody about it and share with them what what what it happened in how great and glorious God he is tough to elevate your son to such a position, but sharing completes the joy in John Piper's great book desiring God.

He shared about CS Lewis's book, reflections on the Psalms and just want to redo this little this'll. Please. Piper said this, Lewis said. That is, he was beginning to believe in God, a great stumbling block was the presence of demand scattered to the Psalms that he should praise God he did not see the point in all this beside it seemed to picture God is craving for our worship, like a vain woman who wants compliments. He goes on to show why he was wrong. Lewis said, with the most obvious fact about praise whether God or anything strangely escape me.

I thought of in terms of complement approval or the giving of honor. I never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise the world rings with praise lovers praising their mistresses readers. Their favorite poets, walkers, praising the countryside players praising their favorite game. My whole more general difficulty about the praise of God. Depended on Bob certainly denying to us as regards the supremely valuable what we delight to do what, indeed, we can't help doing about everything else we value. I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment. It is an appointment. It is an appointed consummation strewn listen carefully. The better we praise God, the better will know God, the better we know God, the better will trust God and the more we trust God, the more delight. We will have in him, so if you want to be happy then learn how to praise God here. David also praised his people.

Verse 23 again who is like your people Israel. The one nation on earth. And God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them. Great and awesome things by driving out before your people whom you redeem for yourself, from Egypt and nation and its God's and praising his people Israel, really praising God because why was Israel any different than any nation on the face of the earth. One reason the sovereign grace of God that was it. I didn't deserve to be God's people, but they became God's people because of God's sovereign grace in Deuteronomy chapter 760 right. Listen to this for you. Are people holy to the Lord your God, the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession out of all the peoples were on the face of the earth.

It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord said his love on you and shows you for you are the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers at the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, David. Praise God for his people.

You know what I do. I praise God for Grace Church. I praise God for you people because you love the Lord, because you belong to him, not because your good.

But because of his steadfast mercy and his sovereign grace that reached down and the the depths of this nasty world and picked us all up and saved us for all of eternity. I praise God, and I praise God for you .3 is a prayer for God's will. Verse 25 to 29 and now the Lord God confirm forever, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant concerning his house and do as you have spoken in your name will be magnified forever saying the Lord of host is God over Israel and the house of your servant David will be established before you, for you, oh Lord of hosts, the God of Israel had made the revelation to your servant saying I will build you a house. Therefore, your servant is encouraged to pray this prayer to you and our Lord God, you were God in your words are true and you have promised us good thing to your servant. Now, therefore, may it please you to bless the house of your servant so that it may continue forever before you. For you, oh Lord God of spoken and with your blessing.

Chill the house of your servant. Be blessed forever. David's petition is the is Lord keep your promise. Do what you have promised to do. In other words you said it Lord we believe it. That settles it. This is not name a claimant blabbing rabbit theology.

This is coming to an understanding of what God promised and then us standing on those promises.

That's what David did stood stood on the promises of God the excess how we should pray we should pray in humility.

We should pray in gratitude and we should pray in faith, standing on the promises of God is pray. Heavenly father entitled the sermon. Unlike you. It's amazing how many people in Scripture come to that very conclusion. There is none like you all of us are created billions of God we see and we fail, we disappoint others soon even disappoint our sales Lord, you never fail you perfectly holy, perfectly righteous, perfectly good.

There is none like you may that truth link to our minds and hearts as we celebrate the Lord's supper as we think about the broken body of Christ and his precious shed blood. May our hearts overflow with gratitude and praise to our God, Jesus, you paid it all, all to you.

We sin is left a crimson stain, you washed it white as snow.

We love you Lord, for there is none like you and it's in Jesus precious name we pray.

Amen