1- Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die;
and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
2- I go the way of all the earth:
be thou strong therefore,
and shew thyself a man;
3- And keep the charge of the LORD thy God,
to walk in his ways,
to keep his statutes,
and his commandments,
and his judgments,
and his testimonies,
as it is written in the law of Moses,
that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest,
and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
4 That the LORD may continue His word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way,
to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,
there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
I- LEAVE LIKE A MAN:
Live like a man and leave like a man!
Let us prepare ourselves to be the man that God had created us to be.
Let us prepare ourselves to be like that of Jesus
“In My Father’s house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.” (John14:2)
It’s good to be a man:
#1- Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
It's a good thing.
#2- A one week-vacation requires only one suitcase.
#3- Your underwear is Php295 for a three-pack.
It's just good to be a man.
#4- Watching News on TV and be a self commentator
#5- And the last one? four letters - ESPN!
It's good to be a man.
Paul wrote these words: ''When I was a child,
I used to speak as a child, think as a child,
reason as a child. When I became a man,
I did away with childish things” (1Cor.13:11).
This I just read from: cerebralfaith.blogspot.com,
“What Makes A Man Childish?” posted by Evan Minton on July 18, 2016
“A person's recreational activity does not determine their maturity level. Why is it that I can play tennis on weekends, but not video games?
Why can I enjoy a football game on Sundays, but not a Marvel super hero movie? Why can I watch American Idol but not Pokemon?
Why is one labeled mature and the other not?
Why does what I like to do for fun, in my own free time, in those moments when I'm not obligated to work, a determining factor of my maturity level?
Whether you enjoy a good round of Mario Bros., or a stimulating game of chess, whether you enjoy watching anime or you enjoy watching sitcoms, these things don't have any relevance to a person's maturity level.
HOW WE BEHAVE IN PUBLIC,
HOW WE REACT WHEN SOMEONE TELLS US,”No”,
HOW WE RESPOND TO FAILURE,
HOW WE LIVE UP TO THE RESPONSIBILITIES WE BARE,
e.g raising our children,
pleasing our wife,
having a decent income from a hard day's work at a job every day, etc.
HOW WE DEAL WITH DISAGREEMENTS.
These things, and more, determine our maturity level.
Can we adultly behave properly in these areas?
Then we have already put away childish things.
Are you more concerned with having a good time,
or with pleasing God and providing for your family?
Do you whine and throw tantrums in the face of failure or do you get back up and try again?
Do you complain about life not being fair,
or do you make lemonade out of the lemons you were given?
These things determine whether you’re truly mature,
whether you’re an adult or not.”
There's a great need in our Country today for boys to become men.
And just because you're 21 or older doesn't mean you're a man.
We have a lot of fully grown people that are still boys.
They're still acting like children.
It's still all about me, and it's all about selfishness,
and me and mine, and what I can get, and what feels good.
And we have a need for boys to become men
and for men to be men of God and men of honor,
David live a life of a man, standing to the principle of God, the ways of God, walking in accordance to the Word of God...
That is what David is telling his son, Solomon...
“Let my life be an example to you as I will leave according to the ways of all the earth but believing in the ways of heaven.”
In the eyes of your family, your children,your brethren, your Co workers... “can you stand to be man enough?”
II- LEAVE A MESSAGE:
Live a life that we can leave a message.
A good message...
For we can give and leave what we only have...
Final Words of a man to his son.
David knew what his would face in the coming days ahead.
David is leaving a message of experience and Solomon is accepting that message in the eyes of a novice...
To lead effectively, Solomon could not act like a boy.
He needed to be a man.
He needed to be strong.
David doesn't ignore the reality that his time on earth was drawing to an end. He knows that he will soon die and so he calls his son, Solomon, to his side to communicate some final words to him.
He says:
“Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.”
David knows that Solomon will be faced with some unbelievable difficulties and challenges as the king of Israel in the days ahead.
There will be internal challenges.
III- LEAVE A LEGACY:
These words look back to what God had promised David in 2
Samuel 7:12-13 where God had said:
12 "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for My name,
and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
God had made a promise to David to raise up a descendant of his to sit on the throne and to establish the throne of that descendant's kingdom forever. The ultimate fulfillment of this unconditional promise of a king from the line of David who would rule in an everlasting kingdom,
of course, is ultimately only fulfilled in Jesus.
Though the ultimate promise is unconditional, each individual king must obey God if he is to experience the blessing from God.
That is what David charges his son, Solomon.
Obey God and you will find success.
Obey God and you will find great blessings.
This is a truth that is affirmed over and over again in both the Old and New Testaments.
Let us leave a life worthy of the Covenant of Promise for the Lord our God is a faithful God!
As a Father like David, a challenge for all fathers that before we leave the Ways of All The Earth....
Let us all leave like a man of God
Let us all leave with a message to our children... A message from God to them...
And finally, let us all leave with a Legacy for generations to come.
IN JESUS’name.... it is now possible....
1 Peter2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light:
10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims...”
waysofAllTheEarth1003am16june2018saturday
