Sermon Central
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Look What God Has Promised
Contributed by Dana Visneskie on Sep 7, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: I talk about God having a plan for the church body, our families, and our personal lives. I use the life of David to show that in spite of great difficulty, God was working out His plan for David’s life.
Title: Look at what God has promised (From the life of David)
Text: Psalm 138:8
Read Text!!!
Pray!!!
Introduction:
Two men were riding a bicycle built for two when they came to a steep hill. It took a great deal of struggle for the men to complete what proved to be a very steep climb. When they got to the top the man in front said to the other, "Man, that was a hard climb!" The guy in back said, "Yes it was. And if I hadn’t kept the brakes on all the way we would have rolled down backwards."
An American attorney had just finished a guest lecture at a law school in Italy when an Italian lawyer approached him and asked, "Is it true that a person can fall down on a sidewalk in your county and then sue the landowners for lots of money?"
Told that it was true, the lawyer turned to his partner and started speaking rapidly in Italian.
When they stopped, the American attorney asked if they wanted to go to America to practice law.
"No, no," one replied. "We want to go to America and fall down on sidewalks."
- We as people have a plan in life, to make money, buy a house or car, raise a family, retire, spending time with grand kids etc
- God has a plan to, and His plans for us and the church as a whole is bigger then we can imagine.
- It’s exciting and requires a lot of faith.
Transition:
- Lets look at the life of David and see the blessings and struggles he went through.
- God had a plan for David, even in the midst of intense struggle and hardship.
- God’s plan for David was to be King of Israel, and govern them as God wanted him too.
- But after David was anointed King, he experienced hardship.
- He faced Goliath and won
- Saul was jealous and wanted David killed, so David was running from this man and his army.
- After God had delivered David from Saul’s hand, David ruled in righteousness until he committed sin with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed in battle.
- As a result of this, there son died.
- And also God pronounced judgement on David’s house and said, “The sword will not depart from your house”
- Out of that Absolom, David’s son wanted to take the throne by force from his father David.
- Absolom was later killed for his rebellion.
- David’s last years as King was
a. A three year famine (II Sam 21:1-14
b. War with the Philistines (II Sam 21:15-22
c. David’s Psalm of Praise (II Sam 22:1-51)
d. David’s last words (II Sam 23:1-7
e. David’s mighty men (II Sam 8-39)
f. David takes census and God’s plague (II Sam 24:1-17)
g. David’s Intercession and God’s Mercy (II Sam 24:18-25)
- David’s life had blessing, but also struggle and hardship as we see in his life.
- But yet David in one of his Psalms says these words:
“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me, your love, O Lord, endures forever, do not abandon the works of your hands.”
- The text doesn’t say, “The Lord will work out my plans for my life, or The Lord will work out the plans I want for my life.” It says, “The Lord will work out His plans for my life.”
- I want to give you this evening 3 truths about God’s plan for your life.
- But it’s not only for your life, it’s for our homes, and churches.
- These truths are God’s plan for our lives and families, we need to know them and write them down.
Point 1: God’s Plan Is Bigger Than Our Plan
Before going to Europe on business, a man drove his Rolls-Royce to a downtown New York City bank and went in to ask for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer, taken aback, requested collateral and so the man said, "Well then, here are the keys to my Rolls-Royce."
The loan officer promptly had the car driven into the bank’s underground parking for safe-keeping, and gave him $5,000.
Two weeks later, the man walked through the bank’s doors, and asked to settle up his loan and get his car back. "That will be $5,000 in principal, and $15.40 in interest," the loan officer said. The man wrote out a check, got up, and started to walk away.
"Wait sir", the loan officer said, "While you were gone, I found out you’re a millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow $5,000?"
The man smiled. "Where else could I safely park my Rolls-Royce in Manhattan for two weeks and pay only $15.40?"
