Participants: Roy Brown
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000315
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00:31 Let me welcome you today to Faith Chapel.
00:34 A place where the word of God is declared 00:38 and God's people show that they trust him 00:42 implicitly. My name is Roy R. Brown, retired 00:49 President of the South Eastern Conference of 00:51 Seventh-Day Adventist and my sermon for today 00:55 is entitled Promises, Promises, Promises. 01:02 Let's have a word of prayer. 01:04 Our loving Lord and our Father, 01:06 as we open this sacred book, 01:09 we ask that you will speak to us from 01:12 your word, in Jesus name, amen. 01:18 After two tries David finally had an opportunity 01:24 of bring the Ark out of Abinadab's house and 01:29 also Obed-Edom's to Jerusalem. 01:33 It was a monumental task. Jerusalem, you 01:37 see was a civil, military and Ecclesiastical 01:41 center of the life of the children of Israel. 01:46 Israel was surrounded by all of its enemies and 01:50 at long last there was secession from war and 01:55 those kingdoms having been subdued David had 01:59 something else in mind. He was now the ruler 02:04 of all 12 tribes and doing a significant job. 02:10 The Ark which signified the presence of God 02:16 and from where he spoke to the children of 02:19 Israel as he had instructed Moses was now 02:24 laying beneath a canopy tent and David wanted 02:29 something else. Listen as he speaks to his 02:34 Prophet Nathan in Second Samuel, the chapter is 02:40 7 and verses 1 through 3 he says, 02:46 Now it came to pass when the King was 02:49 dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given 02:53 him rest from all his enemies all around, 02:57 that the King said to Nathan the Prophet, 03:00 see I dwell in a House of Cedar, but the ark 03:05 of God dwells inside tent curtains, 03:10 then Nathan said to the King, go and do all 03:15 that is in your heart. It was David's design to 03:22 take God who spoke to him from within the Ark, 03:30 where there two Cherubims were, 03:33 so that the confirmation of God and information 03:36 from God would not have come from beneath 03:39 a canopy tent. Here's what the Bible says in 03:44 Exodus 25 and verse 22, "and I will meet with 03:49 you and I will speak with you from above the 03:54 mercy seat, from between the two Cherubim 03:58 which are on the Ark of the testimony, 04:01 about everything which I will give you in 04:03 commandment to the children of Israel." 04:07 God designed that he should speak to the 04:11 children of Israel from within the Ark, 04:17 from the mercy seat, because all of God's 04:21 admonitions and his information comes with 04:25 love from the mercy seat. David had four 04:29 objectives in mind. Number one, 04:32 to win the nation's wars. Number two, 04:37 to secure the nation's independence. 04:40 Number three, to build the capital city Jerusalem 04:45 and finally with a fitting temple to Jehovah, 04:50 that temple would declare that God was indeed 04:54 in the midst of them. That temple given by 04:57 God, conceived by David and subsequently 05:03 built by Solomon was the insuperable 05:07 accomplishment that David thought. 05:12 Now, according to the Bible it says that the 05:15 King said to the Nathan the Prophet, 05:17 see I dwell in a house of Cedars, but the 05:22 living God is beneath these tents curtains. 05:27 I will elect some more appropriate place for God 05:31 to dwell. David's palace of Cedar was completed. 05:37 Hiram from Lebanon had sent him all the cedar 05:39 required to build this super house, 05:42 this palace for himself. It was there in his 05:46 house, in his palace, while contemplating the 05:51 lowly abode of the Ark of God from which God 05:55 spoke to his people that David said I would 05:59 like to build something splendid, 06:02 something durable, something lasting, 06:05 something significant, something glorious for 06:09 the eternal God, so that the name of the Lord 06:12 Christ might be recognized fully. Nathan said to 06:19 David, go ahead, do all that is in your heart, 06:24 so elected to do something significant he says, 06:29 I am going to do this for God, go for it he said, 06:33 it is frequently difficult to understand and to 06:38 distinguish between the inclinations of one's own 06:43 will and the guidance of God. We have no Urim 06:49 and no Thummim. We have no feast to lay 06:53 out, all we have is God's word and how do 06:58 we know for sure that it is what God wants us 07:01 to do even when we hear Lord, what will you 07:07 have me to do. We have of course what God has 07:12 promised, he said you'll hear a voice behind 07:15 you saying this is the way, walk in it. 07:19 Nathan although the Urim and the Thummim 07:22 were available to him simply said to David as 07:26 he contemplated this house for God, go ahead, 07:29 do all that is in the thine heart. 07:32 That was a wonderful proposition that they 07:35 made, but our God is a wonderful God. 07:38 There are times when we elect to do things 07:42 for God, but God sometimes have a different 07:45 concept. In Second Samuel, the chapter is 07:49 7 verses 4 and 5 the Bible says, that it happened 07:55 that night that the word of the Lord came to 07:58 Nathan, saying, "Go and tell My servant David, 08:04 thus says the LORD; 'Would you build a house 08:08 for Me to dwell in?' Apparently David and 08:13 Nathan had conversation during the night 08:17 and or sometime during the day, 08:22 but God said that very night while Nathan 08:26 the Prophet was resting, God gave a vision 08:30 to him and said I want you to go and say to 08:34 My servant David, not go for it as you have 08:40 instructed him but God says, I want to correct 08:43 that as splendid and as beautiful as the idea 08:46 is, it did not have my sanction as yet. 08:51 This was an interesting example of the dynamics 08:55 that God had between the relationship of 08:58 himself with this Prophet that during that night 09:01 watch God could have spoken to the Prophet 09:07 and say to him I need to correct the direction 09:10 in which you are sending My servant David. 09:13 And I think that this is such a marvelous 09:17 interaction of God, an interfacing with his 09:21 children. Two men, David and Nathan had a 09:28 conversation during the day as to what their 09:32 meditations of their hearts were and what they 09:37 were going to do specifically for God. 09:40 God all the way up in glory in his house heard 09:45 every discussion that was made. 09:48 Isn't it wonderful that God not only hears 09:51 our conversation but that also God knows our 09:54 names, knows the intents and purposes of 09:57 our hearts, he sees all that we do, he hears 10:01 all that we say, he knows everything, 10:04 my God is an encompassing God. 10:07 He is connected with everything that he is 10:10 done on earth and that is done in heaven. 10:13 It is in the book of Psalm 147 and verse 4 10:18 that we read, He counts the number of the 10:22 stars, He calls them all by name. 10:28 Oh what a mighty God we serve. 10:32 We serve a God who knows the names of 10:34 multiplied billions of stars and consolations and 10:40 planets. He knows your name, he knows my 10:43 name, He knows where we live, He knows what 10:46 we do, He knows what we say, He is concerned 10:50 whether we're lonely, whether we're happy, 10:52 whether we're sad, He knows all of our trials, 10:56 there is nothing that passes or is not important 11:01 to His graze. In fact, the word of God tells us 11:04 the Lord knoweth them that are His. 11:08 God owns us you see, both by creation and by 11:11 redemption. And so He says to His servant the 11:16 Prophet Nathan, go and tell my servant David. 11:23 What a privilege it is ours to be acknowledge as 11:27 a child of God by the most high God. 11:31 No wonder Jesus taught us to pray our Father, 11:36 to show the connection. God told Nathan, 11:40 here is what you must say to My servant David. 11:45 I had a plan when I called you David, 11:48 I had all the designs for your life. David, you are 11:53 the leader of my people, I've asked you to guide 11:56 and direct them, whenever Israel found a place 12:01 to go it was simply because I directed them 12:05 and whenever Israel needs permanence I the 12:10 living God will grant them that in My perfect 12:14 design for My children. But here are three 12:18 things he said to the Prophet Nathan that you 12:21 ought to say to My servant David. 12:26 Number one, tell him that I will grant him 12:31 rather than the ability and permission to build 12:35 me a house, I will give him a land forever. 12:40 The Bible says, more over I will appoint a 12:44 place for My people Israel and I will plant them 12:49 that they may dwell in a place of their own and 12:51 move no more, nor shall the sons of wickedness 12:55 oppress them anymore as previously. 12:57 I will give him a land forever and then a promise 13:02 of on unending dynasty. Verse 11, since the time 13:08 I commanded judges to be over my people 13:12 Israel and have caused them to rest from all 13:15 your enemies, also the Lord tells you that 13:18 he will make you a house. And then, promise 13:23 number three, an everlasting Kingdom the 13:28 Bible says in verse 13, he shall build a house 13:32 for My name and I will established the throne 13:36 of his kingdom forever. Marvelous isn't it? 13:40 That men proposes, but God disposes. 13:46 That God rules and that God overrules. 13:50 God vetoed the temple construction, 13:54 but God gave David more than he had in mind, 13:57 he wanted to build a temple for God but God 14:01 raise him to another level of an unending 14:04 dynasty which would eventually go through the 14:08 Lord Jesus Christ. It is like asking God for a 14:13 loaf of bread and God giving an entire bakery. 14:19 It is like a teacher just wanting the responsibility 14:22 of a classroom situation and God saying I 14:26 want more than just a classroom for you. 14:30 I would like for you to be the principal of the 14:32 school. I would like you to own the entire 14:35 institution. It's like living in a rented 14:38 apartment and God offering the entire complex. 14:42 It's like asking God for forgiveness of sins and 14:45 God doing much more than simply forgiving sins. 14:48 He is giving you grace that is greater than all 14:51 of your sins. David upon hearing what God had 14:56 in mind for him. Went before the Lord the Bible 15:00 says, he was so struck by what God had 15:03 offered, fully recognizing where God was leading 15:07 in his life. And the Bible says, in the book of 15:11 Second Samuel, I am in chapter 7, 15:15 I'm reading verses 18 through 20, 15:17 the Bible says, then King David went in and 15:22 sat before the Lord, and he said; "Who am I, 15:25 Lord, God? And what is my house that you have 15:29 brought me this far? And yet this was a 15:33 small thing in your sight, O Lord God; and you 15:36 have also spoken of your servant's house for 15:40 a great while to come. Is this the manner 15:44 of man, O Lord God? Now what more can David 15:49 say to you for you, Lord God, know your servant. 15:56 Despite the fact that God had granted him all 16:00 of this. David simply went before the Lord all 16:04 stricken with the beauties of God, all struck 16:08 with how far God was going to take him in his 16:11 plans for him. For you Lord God, know your 16:16 servant, is a cry that we find in the book of 16:21 Psalm 103 and verse 14 it says, for He knows 16:25 our frame, He remembers we are dust. 16:29 Despite that awesome Davidic covenant God 16:35 knew David's liberality, He knew of his 16:39 composition, He knew when he said led 16:42 everything that have breath praise the Lord. 16:45 God also knew his sinfulness, He knew of his 16:48 weaknesses, his flaws, his frailty, 16:52 his transgressions, God had that fierce catalog 16:57 of issue that had confronted David, 17:01 yet however as he sat before the Lord and he 17:04 said for you Lord God know your servant, 17:08 he knew that he was a child of God. 17:11 He knew that he was a man after God's own 17:14 heart and that brought him consolation. 17:17 The Indian proverb says, a diamond with flaws 17:23 is more precious than a pebble that has none. 17:30 God is a promise keeper to be owned by him to 17:34 confess His love is rewarding but despite all 17:38 of this God wants to honor David on a higher 17:42 level. David, you see would succeed, 17:47 be succeeded by all of his sons that was what 17:50 God was saying, that down through the cord of 17:52 years, all of his sons would create this dynasty 17:56 that God had intended and eventually that they 18:00 would come to the kingdom that God had in mind 18:04 for David eventually his kingdom would endure 18:08 forever because God had David fully in mind and 18:14 here is the fulfillment of God's promise to David, 18:18 so that David was not just basking in the idea 18:22 that God wanted to do something wonderful for 18:25 him. God would actually fulfill his word, 18:29 both from a legal standpoint and from a 18:32 Biblical standpoint that God would fulfill his 18:36 promise that through the lineage of David, 18:39 that Christ would eventually come to our 18:42 earth and that He the Lord Jesus Christ would 18:46 come from the lineage of David more than he 18:49 had ever thought God's promise to him would 18:52 be fulfilled. Now Joseph you see is the legal 18:57 representative but not the physical, 18:59 father of Jesus Christ, and he traces his lineage 19:03 all the way back to Jeconiah David's son. 19:07 It was the King Jeconiah whose reign was in 19:13 process when the nation of Israel was taken 19:17 captive down to Babylon and we can read about 19:20 it here in the Bible, David says that he had 19:27 not only one son but what are you doing to my 19:30 generation. David had another son, that son was 19:34 Nathan, Mary therefore was the physical mother 19:38 of Jesus which traces our lineage all the way 19:41 back to David. God was going to keep covenant. 19:46 God is a covenant keeper and if you look in the 19:50 Book of Matthew the chapter is 1 and we look 19:54 at two verses, verse 12 and verse 16, 19:58 it says and after they were brought to Babylon, 20:02 that's the children of Judah, Israel, Jeconiah 20:06 begat Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel 20:11 and then down to verse 16 after all of these 20:14 names it says and Jacob from the lineage of 20:17 David begot Joseph the husband of Mary, 20:22 of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. 20:28 That's the lineage of Joseph the legal part not 20:33 the physical, here comes a physical and this happens 20:36 through Mary in the book of Luke and I'm in 20:39 chapter 3 of Luke and I'm at verse 31. 20:44 Here's what the Bible says, the son of Melea, 20:48 the son of Menan, the son Mattathah, 20:51 the son of Nathan, the son of David. 20:54 You see David had two different sons that 21:03 came from different wives and through the son 21:09 of Jeconiah comes Joseph and through the son 21:15 of Nathan comes Mary. She was born out of that 21:21 and he was right God is, because He keeps His 21:26 word, He is a promise keeper. Therefore the 21:29 Lord himself will give you a sign, behold a 21:32 virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall 21:36 call his name Emmanuel meaning God with us. 21:39 So he came through the tribe. God was 21:43 convinced that David would be a fit subject 21:48 to sent the lineage of Jesus, it happened God 21:52 could be trusted, that God never leaves us 21:56 without fulfillment of His word to us. 22:00 Now, if God kept His promise to David there is 22:06 an assurance that He will keep his promise to 22:09 us and to indicate that what God said to Nathan 22:14 the Prophet in passing information down to 22:17 David about this Davidic covenant. God indeed 22:22 was effectually doing something for David that 22:26 he never thought of, it was not within his grasp, 22:30 but God kept His word. When we arrive in the 22:34 time of Jesus, we find a man who was born blind, 22:38 he was blind, his name is called Barnabas, 22:45 he said to Jesus, blind Barnabas did, 22:50 he said Jesus Christ thou son of David have 22:54 mercy on me and he cried out asking God to 22:58 have mercy on him, because he was blind, 23:01 Jesus asked him, what can I do for you, 23:04 but notice what he said, he did not say Jesus 23:06 Christ thou son of Abraham, he did not say 23:09 Jesus Christ thou son of Joseph, he said Jesus 23:13 Christ thou son of David, if my God makes a 23:18 promise, my God will keep it, if God kept his 23:22 promise to Adam my God will keep his promise 23:27 to us. If God kept his promise to David to give 23:31 him a dynasty then God will also keep his 23:35 promise to us likewise. Because, God indicated 23:40 in the Bible that it would be easier to change 23:45 the process of day and evening then to change 23:51 the process that he had covenanted with David. 23:55 It says that if we could change the day so that 24:00 evening and morning do not occur then it would 24:04 be possible for us to change those faithful 24:08 promises that God had made to his servant 24:12 David. And so, I want you to hear me now God 24:18 will keep every promise that He has made to 24:22 us. He said in his word that he is able to keep 24:29 us from falling and to present us faultless 24:34 before His presence. God will keep His promise 24:38 because God is faithful. He said in my Father's 24:44 house are many mansions if it were not so 24:47 I would have told you. I go to prepare a place 24:52 and if I go I will come again and receive you unto 24:55 myself that where I am there you will be also God 25:00 will keep his promise and Jesus is now preparing 25:04 that mansion for the faithful children of God. 25:08 He said also in His word, I, even I, and he 25:12 that blotted out thy transgressions like a 25:16 thick cloud and I will remember them no more. 25:22 And if God promises that we can be assured that 25:28 our sins which are many will be not only forgiven 25:33 but that God blots them out and God remembers 25:37 them no more and if God does not remember 25:41 them anymore then we are not to worry ourselves 25:44 about sins that have been confessed. 25:47 God says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and 25:53 just to forgive us sins and to cleanse us from 25:57 all unrighteousness. God is a promise keeper. 26:02 He said I give unto them eternal life and no one 26:07 will pluck them out of my hands. Just as God 26:12 kept his word to David in like manner God says I'll 26:17 give unto them eternal life and no one can 26:21 take them out of my hands. He said in his word, 26:25 as many as receive them to them gave he 26:29 power to become the sons of God. Oh what a 26:32 wonderful thing it is that we are God's, 26:35 both by creation and by redemption and the 26:38 promise of God is as clearly as we can read it 26:42 from his word, it says as many as receive them 26:47 God gives power to become sons and daughters 26:50 if you please of the living God, and God will 26:53 keep his word. Then he says blessed are they 26:57 that keep his commandments that they may have 27:00 a right to the tree of life and enter through the 27:03 gates into the city, so that this ever lasting 27:07 lineage, this eternal kingdom that God promised 27:11 to David. We become heirs and joint heirs if you 27:15 please with Christ, because the promise of God 27:18 will be maintained simply because God said it and 27:23 God is willing to fulfilling his word. And, the 27:28 God we serve is a mighty wonderful savior. 27:33 His word is maintained because of his fidelity 27:36 to us and all he asks us is to believe, 27:40 to trust in him. My appeal to you today is, 27:45 trust in the Lord, his promises are sure. 27:49 God is faithful, God loves you and in return 27:54 He will be true to you always. |
Revised 2014-12-17