When the Answer is NO!, Part 1

Temple were in the presence of God abides is the prophets affirmation.

This is great. God says you got a picture David Rushing back to Cedar Palace in the dining room and clearing off the table and getting a fresh parchment calling as architects. Is it okay guys let's get to work a green light from the prophet of God is a green light from God, my dream can now begin to unfold. Not so fast. The first word in verse four, changes everything accurate and humble perspective on himself in the passage were studying today. David comes to God with a plan. He has a desire to do something great for God, but he knew that even though he was a king. He was subject to the King of Kings and in this case, God's answer was no.

What can we learn from the bitter disappointment when God's answer to our prayer is no this is what were exploring today on wisdom for the heart here Stephen Devi with a lesson called when the answer is one question that just about every child gets asked 100 times or so when their little is the question what he wanted to grow up to be when you grow up. I did a lot of research again this week when I got back into town this weekend and found that kids are still kind given the same answers that you probably gave when you're growing up you had asked the same question. Some still want to be astronauts. Several in the survey wanted to be Spider-Man and Superman or some other superhero. One of the surveys I read one kid wanted to be a zookeeper another one to be a lion tamer is an example. Still another wanted to be a painter.

Several wanted to be actors, actresses, pilots, doctors, racecar drivers, not any course. I guess things have changed, wanted to garbage collectors course I was back in our day you wrote on the back of the truck and five dollars a barrel. You was a great job. One kid told his mother in the survey. He wanted to grow up to be the ice cream scoop or Baskin-Robbins that another kid said he wanted to work in a Krispy Kreme factory story, getting fresh donuts.

THAT'S that's mine, I threw in there just for fun but I did find interesting, though not all that surprising was that LinkedIn did the survey and they found that less than 10% of the adults and millions were included as part so that they were even remotely involved with their childhood dream any somewhere along the way. Most of our dreams changed what we thought would be the exciting job to have truth is most people I know adapted to new desires. We do that all the time going in fact, even now, your desires are being transformed and the agent of transformation in your heart is the Holy Spirit at work in your life and in your learning were learning together how to trust in the Lord with all our hearts to not lean on our own understanding. This is the way I think we ought to go but in all our ways to acknowledge him, give him first right of refusal and watch as he directs our steps that's critically important, because our direction is often different than the direction God wants for us how you respond how you respond I mean, obviously you know I would imagine in a crowd this size there aren't many astronauts in here, there probably isn't a lion tamer in here probably no professional actors or actresses or racecar drivers so that you'll get paid for it.

Maybe say evidently we've had some close doors along the way you respond when you're planning to take some steps. Maybe it's it's it's a grown-up issue that's a relationship or remove a purchase decision in life will change. And then God shuts that door, he doesn't allow you to make that particular turn in in the road you respond to that, no matter how hard you turn the doorknob on the door. It remains closed. The average Christian will go get a sledgehammer to you. I think I can open it or maybe have friends pray translate that for in the Lord help him learn how to take that block so we can open the door. We really trust the Lord with all our hearts, do we not lean on our understanding.

We really acknowledge him, and his first and watch as he directs our steps to me ask it this way what you do when God says no you respond with wisdom and could I dare say joy when God says not that door. In fact, the older you get, you realize it's not that door never this over here how you respond in that wise and joyful manner that we see in the life of David, let me have you rejoined our study in this singer's life.

The life of King David were in second Samuel, as I studied this text that is what so obviously struck me know.

By the time you read second Samuel, this is our first foray into the second book, the word that came to my mind is the word finally finally we have walked with David over the course of several weeks together.

It's taken him years to get where we covered the territory a few weeks, we watched David struggle and go from one trouble to the next seven we he's been fighting the Philistines.

He's been dodging spears.

He's been hiding out in caves and and now you get in the second Samuel and these finally anointed king. But if you if you know carefully the fine print in chapter 2. Please anointed king of Judah, the nation is divided it's going to be several years of working to unite the it is and over until chapter 5 where he's anointed king of Israel, those tribes in between. You've got intrigue and murder. Civil War finally finally get to chapter 7 finally, he hears the chances were the people in his direction. Long live the king.

It's been 15 years to get from chapter 1 of second Samuel, the chapter 7 we just flew over it 15 years he has defeated the Jebusites of Jerusalem is now their capital city, the nation is united there is domestic peace.

There is national rest and you have to just say the side of relief. Finally, finally affect the opening line of chapter 7 just tell you how good it is.

The king lived in his house.

That is his palace and the Lord given him rest from all his surrounding and means you just kind of picture, David is in the lazy boy with a remote theater open. It's been decades of strife and trouble.

He now has his dream job or does he mean everything that he could've imagined as a 13-year-old when he was anointed by Samuel has come to pass is arrived and he's enjoying days of prosperity and they were days of great prosperity for the entire nation. You could think of every Israelite having two donkeys in their garage and roast beef and every oven they had truth is, David is not reaching for the remote and kicking his feet. In fact, you discover as we will together. This isn't his dream job. After all, he said something else in mind.

And it's been growing in verse two. The king said to Nathan, the prophet okay now look now I dwell in the house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in the tent and in other words, I'm enjoying my rare cedar palace of the gift. By the way of another king it was.

It was quite the place to live but I look out my window and in the tabernacle of the art of the covenant, the ark of God is living in a tent made out of badger skin and that just doesn't seem right to me. I got up cedar paneled house and it's time to do something for God.

I been thinking about a long long time. I don't want you to think. By the way, this is a random strange spontaneous thought, you know David's been born ever since he stopped fighting the Philistines and everybody got unified and you know I've always wanted to try my hand at building be good with a hammer and saw I think I do this what you think of anything that is.

This project is been his dream effectively hold your finger here in second Samuel and turn the first Chronicles favorite place that devotion. Turn right go through first and second Kings first Chronicles chapter 22 and notice verse one. David said here shall be the house of the Lord God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel.

David commanded to gather together the resident foreigners, aliens who are in the land of Israel, and he said stone cutters to prepare dress stones for building the house of God. David also provided great quantities of iron for nails for the doors in the gates, and for clamps as well as bronze in quantities beyond weighing in Cedar Timbers without number. Notice verse five for David said Solomon my son is young and inexperienced in the house.

That is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent of Damon glory throughout all lands. I will therefore make preparation for it, so David provided materials in great quantity before his death, you can simply translate that until the day he died for the rest of his life is going to gather he's going to prepare and provide know what kind of lifelong desire in mind go back to second Samuel. With that kind of excitement and enthusiasm. David approaches Nathan effectively says look to be one reason why we shouldn't start now this is the culmination of my skill and effort and creativity and passion. We've united the kingdom. We have the capital city hears the Temple Mount.

Let's build a magnificent temple for the glory of God.

Notice what Nathan says.

Depravity says go to all that is in your heart for the Lord is with you go for David may just think it temple were in the presence of God abides hears the prophets affirmation. This is great. God says yes I kind of picture David Rushing back to his cedar palace and get into the dining room and clearing off the table and getting a fresh parsley calling as architects. Is it okay guys that's gentle are a green light from the prophet of God is a green light from God, my dream can now begin to unfold. Not so fast. The first word in verse four, changes everything. But oh boy, but that same night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, go and tell my servant David thus says the Lord would you build me a house to dwell in. I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I've been moving about in a tent for my dwelling in all places where I've moved with all the people of Israel that I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, that every command. These that shepherded my people saying why have you not built me a house of cedar. Therefore, go back to my servant David say thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture from volatile sheep you been prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you waited cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth, and I will appoint a place for my people Israel will plant them so that they will deliver in place to be disturbed no more violent men shall afflict them no more's formally from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares the Lord will make you a house that we stopped there is a play on words ideas is God. I want to build you a house of God's is the day but I will make you a house on findings tent of badger skin to do something for you and what you have in this paragraph is effectively what theologians refer to is the Davidic covenant, the Lord is good to make you a house.

Verse 12 establish his kingdom from your body to build a house and establish the throne of his kingdom forever. There's this wonderful covenant given to David here, of all the land, a nation in the kingdom of throne. It is still yet in the future. By the way, he is saying to affect some things and some things will happen have happened. The line of David is to be established as the royal line and through that line comes the king, he has the right to the throne.

He has the right to an earthly kingdom. And by the way, that's why it's so exciting so starting to get into the Gospels into the new just the rumblings of the New Testament where the angel Gabriel comes that little peasant girl married and says that boys are going to have the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom there will be no throne to house the kingdom.

David also delivers here the wonderful news that David's death will not know this covenant is verses 12 and 13 David when you die, don't worry lines to continue to do. He also says even see will not destroy this coveted news because people just keep sitting. Verses 14 and 15 and he also says time will not exhaust this coveted that's for 16 that's wonderful news is David to his surprise, is given a covenant that will last forever. Let's go back and focus on the bed, got effectively tells Nathan to go and tell David that you need a house in the house that will be built the temple will be built by his hand. In fact, if you looked at it.

Verse 12 II really quickly. David is informed by Nathan that when he lies down with his father's. That is when he dies his descendents will build that temple that house on a parallel passage in second Chronicles 17 reads even more clearly the word of God came to Nathan saying go and tell David my servant, thus says the Lord, you shall not build a house for me to dwell in David it won't be you.

It will be your son Solomon. Now before you rush ahead and say well yes, great Nielsen family of the one.

Keep in mind David is no ulterior motive here. He has no selfish ambition. He has no desire to make a name for himself a thing to write his name over the front door.

He wants to exalt the name of God. Can you imagine wanting to exalt the name of God wanted to do something glorious for God, have no ulterior motive. No selfish ambition.I want to do this for you, and God says no were given a little further clarification in the Chronicles that since David spent most of his life in war.

God wanted a man of peace to build the temple and Solomon's name is a derivative of shalom will be that man of peace. It is a matter of David's heart being wrong. It's a matter were God simply said no no pause for a moment with the difficulty of this in mind for Nathan himself. Imagine a prophet having to do an about-face within 12 hours. That would've been easy David, this is going to have another appointment the next morning with Nathan, and Nathan is going to have to effectively say look, David got so excited. I don't your passion in your desire. It's great when you wonderful eyes. I said God would be pleased for you all for it.

God came to me and said oh yeah he'll be pleased with the buildings temple, but I could be such a discouraging word can make you just want to cry. You had planned to go to college or graduate school, but you have made plans to get married but your child and you are the person for that job but you don't plan on having lots of children, but plan on not having any more children.

But a little conjunction can change everything that when you're talking to someone what comes after.

They say, but is what really matters, so tune in your child out of elementary school teacher calls you and says we really love having little tornado in the classroom with us, but the client calls up and says we've enjoyed doing business with you for years but maybe you fellas had a girlfriend call you at some point so you know you're really nice guy and are all like spending time with you but you know what that means you are now free to move about the country.

I'm convinced David was unable to sleep.

He was excited he was dreaming planning the things he would do for the glory of God, and God said, but I have something else in mind. It strikes me that when were told that David at a heart after God heart. I forgot the part that such a big state. You can attack that in one lesson a mark of having a heart after God is probably nowhere more revealed then and how someone responds with God's heart says no let's go through these next few verses quickly and let me give you five summary words reveal the David's attitude and action will call it five ways to respond. When God says no right here we go number one.

The first way to respond is with humility. Verse 18 and King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, my old Lord God and what is my house that you have brought me thus far is it going to God's presence and I got a laundry list of one of the men for the child why would you let me do that without any argument without any protest. David is literally at his best here when he goes into that skin covered tabernacle and offers up his self-deprecating self enunciating self-denying testimony anyway to receive what you've given already. What do I even have now that isn't the result of your goodness, dream or no dreams.

I am a blessed person.

David's God says no respond with humility. Secondly, respond with gratitude. Verse 19 and yet this was a small thing in your eyes the Lord God spoke, and also of your servant's house for a great while the common you can insert that was a surprise. What you're doing for me, Lord is choosing to focus on what God is going to do rather than what God has chosen not to do. Gratitude comes when were willing to view the will of God in a longer term rather than a shorter term God has something else in mind effectively were thought about the fact implied in in God's response to David through Nathan that had God allowed David to begin building the temple 20 years earlier when he wanted to. David would more than likely have made it out of cedar wanted out of cedar wanted out of stone and gold and silver. I read recently about a man who had heard God say no and then God's design was a yes different way. It would involve surprise and disappointment.

He and his wife had a dedicated their lives to vocational ministry there were going to Africa to reach and unreached tribe in the result or support. They made it to the field and in the middle of the first term, his wife came down with a serious disease which caused them to have to leave the field and come back to the United States in order to make a living.

He joined his father in his dentistry practice was the last thing he wanted to do the needed eat. He also had the idea just from understanding and need within the congregation. He was part of a denomination observed of the Lord's table every time they gathered in the great just didn't have a very long shelf life before it would begin ferment, so he began to experiment. He experimented with pasteurization so that he could provide unfermented grape juice for their communion. He figured it out the automated been a missionary his dream and been – along with his wife. His name was Thomas Welch. He went on to produce quote unfermented sacramental wine for church, but he caught on and to this day. In fact, within 10 years.

It was selling around the world along with Welch grape jelly, he would go on to give hundreds of thousands of dollars to the gospel and that's it. No, that in a yes to this. Maybe you can't teach what you can pray, maybe you can't go you can support. Maybe you can't sing but you can organize, then you can run a particular race, but you can provide the shoes for the people who came respond with humility and gratitude certainly respond with surrender his uneasy words by the daily challenges respond with surrender. If you look at verse 20 David to send again. What more can David say to you, for you know your servant. Oh Lord God is on your servant, what more can I say I belong to you, that's good enough it interesting that in verse 18.

He asks who am I in verse 20 he says I am your servant, which provided interesting principle of surrender and security is not so much who you are, but whose you are. Stop right there for today but Stephen will be back on our next broadcast to finish this message entitled, when the answer is no.

This message was the basis for Stephen's small booklet called when God says no.

It's a short easy-to-read booklet that's filled with practical wisdom about responding well when God's plans differ from your plans. You'll find that booklet in our online store and while you're there, please take advantage of the free resource we have for you. Stephen's e-book do babies really go to heaven when they die is free this month and that's also online. Our website is wisdom online.org again. That's wisdom online.org. If there's any way we can help you today our number is 86 648 Bible once again that's 866-482-4253 were located in the Eastern time zone in our office is open from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM each weekday.

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