God's Heart, God's Man, God's Ways, Part 2

From Chuck Swindoll. A servant has one goal and that is to make your superiors successful. If you're really serving your home as a husband, your desire is to see your wife succeed, or wife, the husband boy talk about mutual bilateral servant hood that happens in the whole. You have one great goal, and that's to watch them use the God in a greater way than you. There are times in history when God chooses to raise up a leader in using mightily for his purposes.

How and why and when that leader is chosen is often a mystery. Take for instance David.

He was an unknown Shepherd.

But God handpicked this young Jewish boy to lead his nation as their king today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll continues a biographical series that started yesterday. It's timeless and called David a man of passion and destiny. And if you missed any portion of Thursday's program will begin with a helpful review God's choice of a person is contrary to human reason. Now I have of course a reason for saying that God's choice of a person is contrary to human reason reason I want to say that at the beginning because I want all the people here tonight and all may hear this message in years to come to know that you're no different in essence than David nor he different from you. There was nothing about David on the surface that impressed God and caused God to say how that is my man God as we will see tonight. Look for and shows an individual in this case, David, who really had nothing very impressive about him on the surface, the Lord says my choices are not according to human reason that no person should boast before me now I want to give you hope tonight were not to dig right into how God began to use David this evening were going to dig into his times and were going to illustrate that one principal about David. He didn't look different than any other Jewish boy his age at the time he was chosen but he had character.

That's what God saw, you know what I think if we could have been the neighbors of Jesse living in the farmhouse next to their house on the Judean hillside. We may not have even known the name of the youngest son and his dad didn't even think of it when Samuel asked is this all your sons Jesse rubbed his beard and thought, oh yeah, there's the baby who is out in the field, keeping those sheep and well. Samuel said go and fetch him suddenly all this hello this nobody became somebody but you and I would not have even been impressed by the fellow that they brought in from the field who smell like sheep. I will show you something first Samuel 1612 sort of hop skip and jump tonight through different sections of the Bible to show you some things about this choice that God made want to land on the only verse in all the Bible tells us about his appearance. Okay the only verse that talks about his appearance of verse 12 of chapter 16 of first Samuel, so he sat and brought him in. That's the key is Jesse and the him is David, the father sent and brought David in this is the only description and there are three things were told he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance well. Then you think of what else do you need that's not bad to start right there. You know what it means. It means he was redheaded. Most likely, ruddy, suggests red fair complexion may be bronzed from the sun. He had sparkling eyes and he was good looking.

What that tells me tells me that God means what he says when I look at the heart that's the beauty of this message tonight. That's the joy of the message on David, he was nothing more than a shepherd whose name wasn't even on the community and we got them revered as some kind of plastered St. with a halo and all it was was a kid not even 20 years old. He was picked out of the field from following the sheep, and God said what I'm looking for. Boy in the anointing with oil tell you I am deeply encouraged to know that guy like David could be seen with qualities used of God. So can every person here tonight even without a superb track record. Well, let's go back 40 years.

Okay, let's go to chapter 8 first Samuel chapter 8 will show you some background. I know that most people hate history, but you just gotta get a bite of it to appreciate where David was all try to make it interesting. The backdrop that led up to the people's choice. The judges were dead. Eli came and he did the job as the high priest and then he got old and in rickety and he died and he left two sons that hated God so they were qualified and that he had adopted a boy named Samuel who was the son of Hannah and he was a man of God, but his boys word as he grew up and had children and now Samuel was old people were on a long drift from God. They had heard about the days in which Israel were really was really a great nation they have read the books that talked about Eli and those great early days of Samuel in the zenith of his career, but listen, they knew nothing of it. Personally, you know what they knew. They knew compromise. They knew disobedience.

They knew the. The profile of aged Samuel in fact it says in verse one that when he was old he appointed his sons judges over Israel and you think Powell now were going to move on. Look at the sons of Samuel.

It names him. In verse two and it says they didn't walk in his ways. In verse three. They turned aside after dishonest gain. They took bribes and perverted justice that's that's the legacy that Samuel left the way. Does that haunt you. Dad's like it does me. You know the only legacy we have that live on that will live on as reflections of our character, our kids, Samuel lived and got ready to dine here were boys just brought reproach to the name of Jehovah think so. The people were disillusioned. Frankly, and they had three reasons for wanting a king there given to us in verse well, let's see that they have a summit meeting at Ramah verse four and they said there are three reasons Samuel. We want a king first verse five, you have grown old. Second, your sons don't walk in your ways. And third, we want to be like all the other nations. Verse five concludes appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations and people of always wanted to be like everybody else of worshiping an invisible God.

Everybody says where's your king always in the heavens.

We want to have them on earth saying we want to be like all the other nations look at the Philistines God look at their K in the Moabites and the Jebusites of all the other lights that got almost king's. Okay, we want to be like all the other nations. Interesting how believers want to be like everybody else, because everybody's doing it so they said, look, you're out to lunch your dying, your sons are out to lunch. We want to be like everybody else. And so Sandy was brokenhearted because they didn't say we want to wait on God to provide what we need you find a man will find a man and we will put them in office. Will it broke his heart. Verse six. It was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said give us a king to judge us and he prayed sandals on his knees more than he is on his feet. What a man of God and the Lord said to sign the lesson of the voice of the people in regard to always say to you, not rejected you, they rejected me from being king over them, go ahead and listen. Verse nine listen to their voice. However, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over the did he ever at your student of the Old Testament you know that Saul all what a willful man, tall dark handsome all the externals that you would expect in a king that some people choose kings get someone that looks good and well, he'll be a good image for Israel souls. The guy and he came on the scene and we really slept them off their feet. He had a measure of humility to start with.

He seemed to be able to to rally people around the cause.

He apparently had enough moxie to get an army together and before long you think while he is the man for the job. But you know that even though he was 30 years old when he started chapter 13 verse one tells us that man before long became thin-skinned, hot tempered, angry, and even was given to seasons of depression and murder, and he died a suicide.

That's the People's choice. I wait somewhere between the anointing of Saul and the suicide of Saul. David came in. That's his times. Talk about being born into volatile times. That was David's entrance into life.

People run a long drift from God.

They became disillusioned with their choice but what you do when your king doesn't walk with God will ask America.

We do the most disillusioning insecure feeling is to know that something is wrong in the Oval Office and you can't put your finger on it, they, they, they knew that Saul spent a lot of time in this tent, it was dark and he said strange things that he spoke with a strange tone and he walked in the flesh.

Finally, chapter 13 tells us God said you're not qualified any longer, more severe, Samuel said to Saul you have acted foolishly, you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you.

For now, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

Next verse, but now your kingdom shall not endure. Here's the first prediction of David right here. Verse 14 the Lord has sought out for himself, a man wait before you read any further, look at that little three letter word man okay just a human being.

God is not on a search for Angels in the flesh.

He is not looking for perfect people, there are none. He is on a search for man and women like you and me.

People of flesh, but he has three qualities in mind he's looking for you ready for number one. Spirituality a man after his own heart. There's the first quality. What is it mean to be a person after God's own heart. It means that you are a person whose life is in harmony with the Lord.

What is important to him is important to you. What burdens him burdens you when he says go to the right you go to the right when he says stop that in your life you stop it when he says this is wrong and I want you to change you deal with it. You come to terms with it because you have a heart for God, and that's putting it on the that's the bottom line of biblical Christianity. When you are deeply spiritual, then you have a heart that is sensitive to the things of God. Do you not does your school but do you not asking does your mate do you not your church.

You, so that if nobody else was here except you alone and you could hear the echo of your voice. Could you alone sitting in this room tonight say I'm a person after God's heart is so you're on your way. Hold your place here because you lose it if you don't go to second Chronicles 16 verse nine just want to give you a parallel verse that confirms what I just said second Chronicles 16 nine for the eyes of the Lord moved to an fro throughout the earth that a beautiful expression that he may strongly support those whose heart is completely his circle that verse.

If you haven't already.

What is it that God is looking for God is looking for men and women whose hearts are completely his completely. That means there are no closets that are locked. There are no rugs under which things are swept. That means that when Ron comes, you come to terms with it quickly. Your grieved over wrong. You're concerned about those things that displease him and you long to count for him in motivation all the way down to the reasons behind the actions.

The first quality David had his spirituality by go to chapter 16 of first Samuel verse one. I'm sure the second quality. When God makes a choice. It's contrary to human reason, we would choose people that look like Saul God chooses people that have character.

The first is spirituality. The second now the Lord said to Samuel, how long would you grieve over Saul since I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse, the Bethlehem light for and noticed I have selected a king for myself. Among his sons, God had come to the home of Jesse in spirit form. Jesse did know he was there and God had given surveillance over the home and had spotted his sons and said, that's my man.

What was it that he saw in David. He saw a heart that was completely God's and second he saw humility. You will have to hold here and go to Psalm 89 to have it confirmed. Well you can leave this right now for Samuel just turn to Psalm 89 the first quality was spirituality. The second is humility.

I know we say a lot about it and I always wrestle with how you communicate humility.

It's maybe described best as a servant's heart 89, 19, of the songs once doubted speaking vision to thy godly ones and did say I have given help to one who is mighty I have exalted one chosen from the people. Verse 20 I have found David my servant those words, my servant described David more than any other words when referring to that man, my servant with my holy oil.

I have anointed him with whom my hand will be established the first quality that God looks for inside our lives is that sense of sensitivity to God. My heart is completely yours second, I want to serve you and others God, but look at 7870 songs in the book of Psalms Psalm number 78 verse 70. He also chose David.

His servant there it is again 7870. He chose David his servant were talking about God's unusual kind of selecting we would choose people that have the surface appearance and have a good front image. But God says I care little about that image business. Show me a person that has the character and I'll give them all the damage he needs all care about temperament. I don't care about personality care about size, I don't care about back track record. I care about character.

First, as is he really deeply authentic in his spiritual walk or is he faking it. Second, is he a servant.

My wife and I rub shoulders 400 about two years with a young man who kept saying I want to have a servant's heart. I want to really serve.

I want to be your servant. Tell what I want to be with you and I want to help you. I will assist you.

I will have a servant's heart heard that once I heard it 25 times. It fell from his lips's amazing we would give him a job to do. He would always have an alternative plan of when we would say look what we do, that he would always have another approach and when we would ask you to take care of such and such. He would seem to come back with. Well, not really. I don't know why you want that you should want this guy began to wonder versus servant's heart. Business coming in when you have a servant's heart.

Your humble you do as you're told, you don't rebel you respect you, sir. That's David God looked at David as he was keeping the sheep and as he did his father's bidding, and he said he's got the qualities I mean is his dad and he remembers name hardly but God says I got mine on that. He's my man look further in this Psalm he chose David his servant by the way, a servant doesn't care who gets the glory. Remember that a servant has one goal and that is to make a superior successful. If you really serve in your home as a husband, your desire is to see your wife succeed, or wife, the husband or parents.

The kids boy talk about mutual bilateral servant hood that happens in the home so that you care too much for one another to let them fail. You have one great goal, and that's to watch them use the God in a greater way than your used.

That's his plan. You don't care who gets the glory. Now he says I chose David my servant and took him from the sheepfold was. Have you ever hung around CP.

Oh wow, what a humbling experience. They are gross is no other word for it stress if they haven't been shorn smelly before you see them usually. Not only did he keep see the Pregnancy you think cheaper bad. Look at verse 71 from the care of the use with suckling lands. He brought them he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel. His inheritance sheep are unbelievably dumb and here was David with a few sheep and he committed himself to the care though she was his calling, his brothers were off in the Army making right, but not not David.

He kept the sea who wants to keep sheep and is a fight going on that. Your job and have a servant's heart. That's what you want to do. I noticed 1/3 quality is integrity.

He shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart that is so significant.

God is not looking for us. Magnificent specimens of humanity. He's looking for, deeply spiritual, genuinely humble, honest to the core servants as was looking for. He shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart. I checked the Hebrew word which means integrity and listen to the synonyms complete whole innocent, having simplicity of life. Wholesome sound on impaired that beautiful is what you are, but nobody is looking. Integrity is honesty right down to the to the nubbin's not a tinge of guile or deception. We're just getting started with this timeless teaching series from Chuck Swindoll originally presented many years ago.

It's called David a man of passion and destiny to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insideworld.org inside for living has a long history of providing Bible study tools to complement each series. The study tools have been produced because we believe that sometimes your best learning happens. Apart from this program when you're studying the Bible on your own.

Along those lines. You might want to purchase a copy of the very practical Swindoll study Bible chucks warm personal style comes across on every page and is informed practical insights get straight to the heart of the Bible's message for the world today, you can purchase a copy of the Swindoll study Bible right now. When you go to insight.org/store or give us a call if your listing in the United States, call 800-772-8888 and then did you know that stone briar Community Church provides a live video stream of their Sunday morning worship service to find all the details and insight.org/Sundays finally let me relay a message that one of your fellow listeners communicated through her website.

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I couldn't sleep very well and I took to listening to Christian radio. Every morning where I live in New Zealand insight for living comes on at sunrise.

The messages seem to be tailored to my deepest need that very difficult time in my life. My dark night of the soul had a tiny pinprick of light. It was Jesus himself revealed to me through insight for living will.

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If God is prompting you to get a contribution us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or give online@insight.org/donate. I'm doing my inviting you to join us again when Chuck Swindoll continues our study on the fascinating life of David. That's Monday on insight for living. The preceding message God's heart God's man got the wings was copyrighted in 1977, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide.

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