Unlikely Hero: How To Receive A Gift

 

Series Summary

David has been described as a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). But as we read through the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, as David enters the narrative of Israel's history, David was unknown. He was young. He was a shepherd. He was overlooked. He was unlikely. But God pointed him out to Samuel and said, "David is my choice. He's the next king. And he's the one I will use to build the family line from which the Messiah will one day come." But David was a very unlikely choice. He failed, and he failed often. Bathsheba... Absalom... The census... And yet God describes him as a man after his own heart. Why? David was chosen by God because of his character. Character doesn’t mean perfection. David was far from perfect. But David always pursued the Lord. David maintained his character, no matter what. All the way to the point of repentance when necessary. This summer, we will look at several events that take place in the life of David: His calling. His victories. His friendships. His failures. His legacy. We will look at the life of David. But David is not the main character. The main character is Jesus. What we will see in David is a life that foreshadows Christ. And we will see how we can better reflect Christ in our own character, and in our own lives.

Sermon Summary

After a long and eventful wait, David has finally become king. And as king, he has an idea: Since he's living in a nice, luxurious home, made from the finest materials, why does God still live in a tent? So David decides to do something about that. However, God says, "No." Instead, God reveals to David that, rather than a gift from David, God has a gift for David. This gift is in the form of a legacy for generations to come. What David had offered was an attempt to "repay" God for his blessings, but what God offers is a wildly generous grace. We can learn from David's response to God's gift, and see how we should respond to God's grace in our own lives as well.