Latest / HBCWestminster / 6.19.22 2 Samuel 5 Pastor Danny Gardner

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6.19.22 2 Samuel 5 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Have you ever wished that life came with an instruction manual? And for you fathers on Father's Day, have you ever wished that raising a family and leading a home and being the pastor of your home, do you ever wish that that came with an instruction manual? There's a phrase I use frequently in my job to my friends, sometimes to my wife. When I've had an unusual day at work, I've had to do something maybe unexpected where I'll come home and I'll say, well, Hallie, they didn't teach me that in seminary.
• 0:30
  I wish that pastoral ministry came with an instruction manual. Being a pastor is a weird job. You have to do weird stuff sometimes. And in fact, very little of our schooling in seminary actually applies to the day-to-day operation of a church. If you want to know how to parse Greek verbs, go to seminary.
• 0:52
  But the day-to-day operation of managing people and counseling people oftentimes doesn't necessarily come with an instruction manual. You would get confronted very frequently with things you had no idea were coming your way because you work with people and people are funny. Pastors are the guys sometimes who get the call when nobody knows who to call. I don't know who to call. Call the pastor.
• 1:15
  Pastors are the guys who sometimes will say what no one else will say. They become sometimes the kings of awkward situations. And I wish that there were an instruction manual on everything the Lord calls pastors to do. Here's how to do well in that situation. When I was in my mid-twenties, brand new in pastoral ministry, I had never performed a funeral nor a graveside service. And my very first one,
• 1:42
  was for a young woman in her late 20s who had died of cancer. And so those circumstances alone made this a difficult one. But nevertheless, it was tasked to me to officiate this funeral and eventually the graveside service as well. And so I began meeting with her family to find out more information about her. And she was born here in the United States. She was American, but her family and really raised by her mom, a single mom, and all of her aunts were all first generation Polish. They had migrated here from Poland. Their first language.
• 2:11
  was polish not english and so even just navigating that was difficult because there was a language barrier and so i'm trying to minister well to this polish family and it turns out polish funeral traditions are different than ours i didn't know that and so i'm trying to officiate this funeral in the way that i'd seen all other funerals done
• 2:30
  And so when I'm meeting with them and I'm asking them what they would like, and I'm saying, well, you know, we're going to share the gospel, we're going to give the hope of salvation, this woman knew the Lord, and we're going to talk about that although she's gone from here, there is eternal life, abundant life that Jesus has promised us. And all of these things, they're all saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's great, that's great, that's great. And so the day comes, and I officiate the funeral, the service is done, and we're leaving the chapel now to go up the hill, this...
• 2:53
  The mortuary had like an upper pavilion, an outdoor pavilion where the casket had been moved and all of the flowers had been moved. And now we're going to do this graveside service with all of the flowers, just two dozen of us or so. But all of them were women. It was me and like two dozen of her family members, her mom and all of her aunts and cousins. But they were all women. And so I get done at the end of the graveside service and had done everything they asked me to do. I closed in prayer and I dismissed, but nobody moved. They just all kind of stood there looking at me. And I went over to the mom and I said, did I?
• 3:24
  Did I miss something? Like, did I not do something? Nobody moved. And she said, well, it's our tradition that we carry the casket to the actual grave. It was up in this pavilion. I said, well, none of the attendants from the funeral home are here. It's just us. She says, that's okay. We'll just move it. Okay. You know, I don't know what to do. So all of these ladies come over, and you guys are all wearing skirts and high heels, right?
• 3:49
  And it's a grass slope down to the hole that they had dug where the grave site was. So they all come around and they all heft this thing up. And you guys, in their high heels, they're walking. And they just made a straight line, not the sidewalk. They just made a straight line walking across the grass. They're like tripping on headstones and things. Like, you know, their high heels are giving out and whatever. And I'm just imagining this casket being dropped and like somersaulting down the hill. And my very first one, you know, like I totally blew it. You know, I'm going to get fired for sure. They get it all the way down there. They set it on the straps. You know, okay, good. I close in prayer.
• 4:20
  Dismissed, but nobody moves. Like, what did I miss? Well, we want to put it down in the hole. Okay, I'll call the guy and he'll come with the key because it's like a ratchet thing, you know. So, yeah, the guy comes, ratchets the thing down, it's down in the hole, close in prayer and dismiss. Nobody moves. Like, I don't know. What did I miss now? Well, it's our tradition, you know, that we actually put the dirt, we want the dirt. You know, and the funeral guy is there now. He says, Danny, we don't even have the dirt.
• 4:50
  They don't just leave big piles of dirt, right? He says, we would need a backhoe. We store the dirt off-site. We would need a backhoe to come. Like, we need a truck. We don't have the dirt. You know, I've got to shovel. Like, okay, what if we just, you know, I go to the mom. What if we just shovel, you know, like dirt, some dirt on there? She says, yeah, that would be okay. I close in prayer. I dismiss. Praise the Lord, people begin to leave. But I notice.
• 5:14
  It was only the Americans who began leaving. They're all now matriculating out and they're all grabbing now because we had moved all of the stuff from the pavilion. It had all come down now to the grave site. So they began picking up all of the flowers and things that they had moved down. They're going to clean up the area and whatever. They all grab all of these flowers. They get in their cars. They're getting ready to go wherever they were going next. The mom and all of the aunts and all of them all start screaming. I mean, you guys cry, screaming, mourning. Like, what is going on? And I'm so confused. You know, I'm 25 years old. Like, I don't know what I'm doing. And she says,
• 5:44
  It's our tradition that the body gets buried with the flowers. And if you take the flowers away, it's actually like a curse. She actually said the soul can't rest. And I'm like, well, the scriptures don't actually say that, but I'm not going to get into that argument right now. She's like, Danny, we're going to need all those flowers back. And all of these people were driving away with these flowers. And so here am I.
• 6:08
  full suited up, sprinting across a cemetery, right? Chasing after these cars, banging on the windows, like, and rolling the windows down or whatever. Like, hey, you know those flowers? Yeah, your wife's holding them. I'm going to need those back. You can keep the vase. I'm going to need the flowers back. I'm collecting all of these things and I'm walking them back up and laying them there in the graveside and whatever. And, you know, and finally closing prayer. Can we, are we done? Are we good? Everything is good. Yes, everything is good. I could have used an instruction manual.
• 6:38
  Maybe something along the lines of funerals from around the world. Because there's different expectations and different traditions. You want to honor people, right? You want to take care of them and pastor them well and shepherd them. That's a tremendous loss. You don't want to do something insensitive. I want to do a good job. Lord, would you just tell me what needs to be done? Do you ever feel that way? Man, can I talk to you for a moment? Do you ever feel that way in your own home? I don't know how to do this. Anybody else raising teenagers right now?
• 7:08
  They're like, what in the world? This is hard. It's hard. You know how many times I've come to my oldest? He's sitting down here now. He's no longer a teenager. He's in his 20s, which doesn't make any difference. You're like, how many times I've come to him and said, Pearson, I'm so sorry. Like, I don't know what I'm doing.
• 7:25
  I'm kind of guessing at most of this stuff. By the time Chase comes around, maybe I'll have a better idea. I've already decided I'm going to do that different. I'll try it again third time around, but I wish there were an instruction manual for being a dad. I'm going to use, and I made it the title of our sermon this morning. There's a phrase that I often use. It's a motto that I say frequently. I say it in my home. I've even said it from this pulpit. I've titled this sermon, God's Will Done God's Way Brings God's Blessing.
• 7:56
  God's will done God's way brings God's blessing. And what we're going to look at in 2 Samuel 5 is an example from the life of David. And, man, we would do well to pay attention. There is an instruction manual. Do God's will, but don't just do God's will. Do it God's way, and God will pour out blessing on you, on your families, on your coworkers, on your friends. There is a way to do it God's way.
• 8:25
  As I consider Father's Day, it is impossible for me not to be proud of the men here at Highland. Honestly, I love you guys. I look up to you. I admire you. I believe that we have a group of men, some of them fathers, but some others are not. A group of men here at the church who are committed to the things of the Lord. They're passionate about his kingdom. We have a group of men here at the church who want what God wants. And do you know how easy it is to pastor people when they want what God wants?
• 8:54
  It makes it so easy. And it is to these men that I address this sermon this morning. If you are a man who wants what God wants for your family and at your work and even for your own soul, then this sermon is for you. And it begins with a question. Highland men and husbands, fathers, what is your greatest need? What is the greatest need of your wife? What are the greatest needs of your kids? You may...
• 9:20
  think just very quickly kind of off the bat maybe it's money or maybe you know what i really need is balance in my schedule or a family vacation or you know what my kids need is a good school that has christian teachers that's what they need you know all of these are legitimate needs but none of them is their greatest need men of the church your greatest need and theirs is your personal holiness
• 9:46
  More than she needs your paycheck or a new car or a vacation or flowers, your wife needs your holiness. More than they need school tuition or a new bike or a game of catch, your kids need your holiness. More than it needs your offering or the lawn mowed or shuttling kids in the youth group, your church needs...
• 10:09
  your holiness and what we need more than anything else this father's day is a body of men who desire above all else to do god's will god's way i love how ian bounds has said it he says men are god's method i love that it's just straightforward now this was written over 100 years ago men are god's method and the church might be looking for better methods but god is looking for better men what the church needs today
• 10:36
  It's not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use. Men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost doesn't come on machinery, but on men. He doesn't anoint plans, but men, men of prayer. It is not great talents or great learning or great preachers that God needs, but men, great...
• 10:59
  in holiness great in faith great in love great in fidelity great for god men always preaching by holy sermons in the pulpit and by holy lives out of it in other words you don't just talk the talk you walk the walk and he says these can mold a generation for god and fathers is that not our greatest desire that we would mold the next generation for god we turn our attention this morning to second samuel whereas first
• 11:29
  Samuel is about the failures of King Saul. Second Samuel is about David becoming the king that Saul never was. First Samuel is about Saul's failures. Second Samuel about David's successes. First Samuel was riddled with the failures of the first king, beginning with his outright disobedience by sparing a man named Agag. Agag was the king of the Amalekites.
• 11:54
  And Saul, one day the first king of Israel, was commanded to destroy the Amalekites, all of them including their king, but he disobeyed. It says, in fact, in 1 Samuel 15 and verse 1, Samuel said to Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Now, therefore, listen to the words of the Lord. Go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them. But Saul and the people spared Agag. Like, wait.
• 12:25
  Agag was supposed to be dead, right? That guy was not supposed to live. He spared Agag and the best of the sheep and the oxen of the fattened calves and the lambs and all that was good and would not utterly destroy them. He looks around and he says, why would I destroy these sheep? There's nothing wrong with these sheep. I'm going to save the sheep. And Samuel says, well, God told you to destroy them. Yeah, but they're just sheep and cows. I mean, what's the harm, right? And the lambs, like, why would I destroy them? They're good things. I'm not going to destroy those. And their king, Agag, I'm going to keep him as a trophy.
• 12:55
  Bragging rights, I'll keep them around. The time went by, and Saul may have considered that a very slight oversight. Maybe a small indiscretion, a little sin. And as time went by, no doubt people forgot even about that. As centuries ticked by, his disobedience on that day probably didn't seem like that big a deal. But then you get to the story of Esther. And Esther, as you guys recall, was...
• 13:23
  the queen. She was married to King Ahasuerus. He was the king of the Persians at the time, the most powerful man in the world. And Esther was the queen, yes, but she was one of many queens. He had an entire harem of queens and Esther represented the Jewish people to the king. You may recall that Esther had a cousin, a much older cousin, older than she was named Mordecai. Mordecai had raised Esther and so was a father to her. And it was Mordecai who went to Esther and said,
• 13:52
  Our people are under threat. Do you remember this? Go to the king. Plead for the Jews. Somebody's got to come to our help, right? Somebody's got to come and help us. And Esther says, I'm not going to the king. He's going to chop my head off. And Mordecai says, but what if the Lord has put you in position for such a time as this? It was Mordecai who said that. What if it was for right now that he has elevated you? So go to the king on our behalf. The people were under threat. In fact, there was a...
• 14:22
  a plot against them to actually kill all of them, to exterminate the Jewish people. And the man behind the plot was a man named Haman, an evil man. And it says in Esther chapter 3 and verse 1, after these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the, I guess I'll see it, what does it say? The Agagite. He was a descendant of Agag, who Saul was supposed to kill 300 years before.
• 14:50
  That guy wasn't supposed to live, nor were the sons that he would eventually bear, nor their sons, nor their sons, nor Haman. Haman wasn't even supposed to exist. But what was seemingly a small indiscretion by King Saul nearly led generations later to the extermination of God's people. And it says that King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the Agagite, the son of Hamadatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him.
• 15:19
  It says, and all the king's servants who were at the gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded him concerning him, but Mordecai did not bow down nor pay homage to Haman. That momentary, seemingly slight indiscretion caused problems for God's people. In fact, it nearly caused their annihilation. It was a blunder that David determined to set straight from the very first verse of 2 Samuel.
• 15:49
  2 Samuel 1, the Amalekites were allowed to continue to live. Saul spared them, and David tried to put an end to that. 2 Samuel 1 and verse 1, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, he tried to make right what Saul had messed up. And that really is the theme of the whole book of 2 Samuel. What stands out as you read the two books is David's incredible patience and trust.
• 16:18
  In the Lord. In 1 Samuel, we read about the anointing of young David by the prophet Samuel. That's chapter 16. We're reminded that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. By the time David finally wears the crown in Israel, 20 years has passed. You guys catch that? David is anointed king and has to wait 20 years before he becomes.
• 16:50
  There was all kinds of confusion in Israel after Saul had died about who would be the actual successor to Saul's throne. Would it be this newly anointed and not so newly now anointed David? Or would it be one of Saul's remaining sons like Ish-bosheth who will actually become the new king over Israel? 20 years David had waited for the fulfillment of the Lord's promise. And that whole time the Lord had been refining David's character.
• 17:19
  shaping him into the man after his own heart. And Highland men, notice how David submits himself to the Lord again and again, and how God's will done God's way brings God's blessing. Notice first that David is crowned. Look at verse 1. It says, All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. All the tribes. Now this is the first time.
• 17:46
  In seven and a half years of division, that all 12 tribes stood as one man in one accord. The people were finally united under one king. It continues in verse 2. They're talking to David. Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. So in other words, they said, we always knew who was king, but we always knew who was leading us.
• 18:16
  Saul was the king, but David was the leader. And if you know the story of Saul and David, that fact that Saul was very much aware of made Saul incredibly jealous, incredibly angry. In fact, Saul multiple times tries to even murder David because he was so beloved by the nation of Israel. It was you who led us, they said. You continue in verse two. And the Lord said to you, you shall be shepherd of my people, Israel. You shall be prince.
• 18:46
  over Israel. He would be the shepherd prince. You'll recall if you know the story, it was the people who chose Saul. Do you remember that? That people go to Samuel the prophet, they say, we want a king, a human king, like all the other nations have. And Samuel says, well, God is our king. You don't want a human king. They said, no, we want a king. And so he says, fine. God says, fine. Pick your king. And they choose Saul.
• 19:14
  Not because he was a great leader, but because he was a handsome man. He was a good looking guy. He looked like a king. He was taller than everybody else, a whole head taller than everybody else, and he could grow a great beard, right? Which are the marks of royalty. I'm just kidding. But right, so he looks like a king, we'll make him the king. Turned out to be a lousy king. The people chose Saul, but church, who chose David? God was the one.
• 19:44
  who chose david the saul was the people's choice david was god's choice god knew that what the people needed was a shepherd and so they gave him one david was literally a shepherd but he was also a prince the people finally had no doubt in their minds as to who would fill the throne notice second not only was he crowned but he was capable you pick up in verse three
• 20:12
  So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron. King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. They anointed David king over Israel. He was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 40 years. At Hebron, he reigned over Judah seven years and six months. At Jerusalem, he reigned over all Israel and Judah 33 years. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem.
• 20:34
  against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, you will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off, thinking David cannot come in here. And so he's king, but he's crowned king in a city called Hebron. He knew that he needed to be king in Jerusalem. The problem was, Jerusalem was filled with people who didn't like him, the Jebusites. And Jerusalem was so well fortified at the time that the Jebusites would brag about the fact that not even David,
• 21:03
  could break in here and take over. We're so well fortified. We have such strong walls. They would brag that even the blind and the lame can be the soldiers, can watch guard, can keep guard over the walls. We don't even need soldiers. If we close the gates, you ain't getting in. Now that kind of ticked David off. And so he issues a challenge in verse seven. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion. That is the city of David. And here's how he did it. He sat on that day.
• 21:31
  Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him go up the water shaft. David knew the city. He knew that there was an entrance that was not guarded. It was their water supply. He said, I'll tell you even how to do it. You go in through the water supply. You go up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind who are hated by David's soul. Therefore, it is said the blind and the lame shall not come into the house. And so the scriptures record that Joab, who is David's nephew, took a few of his buddies,
• 22:01
  went up the water shaft at night came into the city in secret and from the inside opened the city gates and let in david and his captains they took the city he was a capable leader in fact modern excavation on mount zion has revealed that there is indeed an ancient water shaft apparently used by joab to sneak into the city to open its gates from the inside once he had done that once he takes the stronghold he actually declared
• 22:31
  that Jerusalem would now be his new capital city. No longer Hebron, now Jerusalem. Look at verse 9. David lived in the stronghold. He called it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Milo, that is like a support structure, inward. David became greater and greater. For the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. And Hiram, king of Tyre, that was a Phoenician king, a foreign king.
• 22:56
  is now going to legitimize, give credibility. He's going to recognize David's new kingdom. This foreign king, Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David and cedar trees and carpenters and masons who built David a house. And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, that he'd exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people.
• 23:19
  From this day forward, it would be called the city of David, Jerusalem. It would even become a symbol of the place where the Lord Jesus himself would reign for the rest of eternity. And in fact, Revelation 21 even says that the Lord is preparing a new city, a new holy city, the city of Jerusalem, the new Jerusalem, which will eventually come down out of heaven, a dwelling place for God's people. Jerusalem, starting from this day.
• 23:47
  Verse 13, things take an unfortunate turn. It's revealed to us in 13 to 16 that David completely neglected the Lord's command not to multiply wives. Look at verse 13. David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he came from Hebron. And more sons and daughters were born to David. And these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem.
• 24:22
  David completely neglected. He disobeyed the Lord's command given in Deuteronomy 17 to all kings of Israel that they would not amass for themselves three things. They were commanded, prohibited, forbidden by God not to put their confidence in three earthly things. He says in Deuteronomy 17, it's called the law of kings. Do not amass for yourselves.
• 24:47
  Gold, tremendous wealth. The pagan kings place their confidence in their wealth. You don't need it. I am your treasure, right? Don't amass for yourselves horses and chariots, war horses. The pagan kings put their confidence in their armies, in their soldiers, in their weapons, but you will not put your confidence in those things. You will put your confidence in me. I am your sword. I am your shield.
• 25:16
  Right? And do not amass for yourselves wives. The pagan kings do that, and it was common practice that pagan kings would get as many women as possible so that they could have as many sons as possible so that it would be impossible to exterminate their family line. They would always have an heir to the throne. I got that son, and if he gets killed, I got another one.
• 25:42
  and I got another one, and I got another one, and I got another one. I mean, they would try to have hundreds of sons in order to ensure that there would always be one of their sons on the throne. God said, that's how pagan kings do it. You will not put your confidence in that. You will put your confidence in me. Wealth, wives, and war horses, you need an easy way to remember it. It's gold gals and giddyup, all right? Gold gals and giddyup. You will...
• 26:11
  Not amass for yourselves, put your confidence in those three things. Well, David neglected that command. He began to amass for himself many wives, many concubines, began having many sons. I return to our sermon title. You can imagine the heartbreak that David could have avoided. You notice Solomon's name is in there. You see that? Solomon, unfortunately, inherited that trait from his father, David. He had even more wives and concubines than did his father, David.
• 26:44
  Imagine all of the heartbreak that was brought to David if he had just, he could have avoided if he had just listened to the Lord's command. We're not far from 2 Samuel 11, which is Bathsheba, right? I mean, that's the most famous thing David ever did. What was he most known for? I mean, it was a man after God's own heart, but yeah, there was that Bathsheba thing. And God was still able to work in it.
• 27:06
  right? Because he had Solomon, and Solomon would become the heir to the throne. But man, imagine all of the heartache that was caused, the loss of a son. In fact, the loss of multiple sons, as his firstborn son Absalom, who was a beautiful young man, David described him as, was eventually killed. His family was blown apart. David would always be a man of war, never a man of peace, because of this sin. Because David, in order to satisfy his own flesh,
• 27:33
  Set aside the command of God. And men of Highland, in what areas are you tempted to compromise the truth of God's word in order to satisfy your own flesh? Imagine all of the blessing that David lost because he just wouldn't do it God's way. Imagine the heartbreak that could have been avoided. And are there areas in your life where the truth of God's word is being set aside in order to satisfy your own flesh?
• 28:04
  One of my very good friends and who is a pastor still, he was my pastor in Lancaster. In fact, he is the pastor of Grace Chapel. Our kids who are enjoying worship with Grace Chapel this morning are hearing him preach right now, Chris Johnson. He used to say this all the time. He'd say, Danny, you cannot accomplish the will of God by violating the word of God. You cannot accomplish the will of God. It may seem very good to you, but if it's in violation of the word of God, then the will of God cannot be accomplished.
• 28:34
  May we be men who learn that lesson from King David. You'll notice as we continue that there was a great clash. He's got this newly established kingdom recognized by a foreign king, and the Philistines hear about it. Look at verse 17. When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David, but David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out.
• 29:01
  in the valley of raphaim if you guys are able to join us in israel next march we will take you to the valley of raphaim where these battles were being fought david inquired of the lord shall i go up to the philistines will you give them into my hand and the lord said to david go up for i will certainly give the philistines into your hand david is confronted with a battle the philistines hear that there is a new king and so they challenge him immediately out of the gate
• 29:29
  They wasted no time in attacking this newly formed army. And what was David's response? Were you guys reading along with me? Look back down if you forgot it. What did David do? First thing, he's going to go to war. What does he do? It says he inquired of the Lord. He prayed. He prayed. And may I challenge us, church, that prayer is never the wrong decision. Even when you're confronted with war, prayer is the right thing to do.
• 30:01
  The New Testament has a very famous passage on spiritual warfare, right? It even says, our fight is not against flesh and blood. You guys know this, Ephesians 6? Our fight is against principalities and powers of the air, spiritual realms. And we, because we are battling against things that we cannot possibly hope to have victory in, we are to put on the whole armor of God, right? And so we put on the helmet, we put on the breastplate and the belt, we pick up the sword and the shield.
• 30:29
  It even says that we put on the gospel as shoes for our feet. And when we've done all of that, what does the next verse say? It says pray. Pray. It says pray at all times. Pray like crazy. Pray about everything. Pray and pray and pray. When you are prepared to go to war, then he says pray. Pray. That's exactly what David does. He goes and inquires.
• 31:00
  of the Lord, and he completely routes the Philistines. Look at verse 20. David came to Baal-perazim. David defeated them there. He said, the Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood. Therefore, the name of that place is called Baal-perazim, which means the Lord breaks through. The Philistines were so routed, they're fleeing, they're surrendering, that they leave their idols there, and David and his men carried them away. New trophies. We've got their gods.
• 31:29
  Crazy. Look at what Joseph Elaine says about prayer. He says, with my soul have I desired thee in the night. With my spirit within me have I sought thee early. My heart is early and late with God. Tis the business and delight of my life to seek him. And church, is it the business and delight of your life to seek him early and late? That's what David did. He sought the Lord even as he was going out to battle. Verse 22, and the Philistines came up yet again.
• 31:56
  So they come back, a counterattack, and spread out in the valley of Rephaim again. And David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord said, this time you shall not go up. Go around to the rear. Come against them opposite the balsam trees. So he says, do like a flanking maneuver. Come at them from the back. When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourselves, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.
• 32:22
  And maybe the best phrase in the whole chapter is verse 25. It's the reason I chose it for today, Father's Day. It says, and David did as the Lord commanded and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer. David obeyed. And the Philistines on that day learned that there was a new sheriff in town. The people of Israel knew that they had a king who actually believed that to obey is better than sacrifice.
• 32:51
  They learned that day that our king seeks the Lord and then does what the Lord says. And again, men of Highland, husbands, fathers, grandfathers, can I challenge us with that idea that we must instill in our own homes a confidence that we are men who seek the Lord and that we will do what the Lord commands.
• 33:15
  No matter what he commands. And honestly, as a husband myself, and my wife is currently in California. One of the drivers took them all out there yesterday. So she's away from me today. But man, I would love, I would love for Hallie to say something like, you know what? I don't always know why Danny does what he does. And I don't always understand the decisions that he makes. But I will tell you this. My husband seeks the Lord.
• 33:42
  And if he believes that he is within the will of God, he will stand firm. He doesn't care what anybody else thinks. I don't always understand it. But I'm married to a man who will do what is right. Can you imagine the confidence that the people of Israel had on that day? He routes the Philistines, then he routes them again. And they were like, well, yeah, we apparently made the right decision. That is our king. Husbands, fathers.
• 34:10
  What better gift could we give to our families on Father's Day that it would be our resolution to give to our families what they actually need? Men who understand that the greatest gift their wives can have, that their kids can have, that their church can have is their personal holiness. Willing to do what is right and let us be men like King David, who although still made mistakes and many mistakes, bad mistakes, nevertheless understood that God's will done God's way brings God's blessing. Amen?
• 34:41
  Amen. And Lord, thank you for your word. And God, may we follow his example. God, we are not men who do things perfectly and we fail and need your forgiveness and need grace extended by our wives and by our kids and grandkids. But Lord, we are also so thankful for revealing the truth to us, for giving us the instruction manual of your word. And we don't have to guess about what you require of us. Lord, you want us to be holy. You want us to seek you early and late.
• 35:11
  You want it to be not only our duty, but also a great joy to us to be in your presence. You want us to stand for what is right, to be a man who instilled that kind of confidence in our wives and our kids. And God, I pray a blessing over the men of this church. May they leave encouraged, inspired, and challenged. God, thank you that we have men like this who are like-minded, who will encourage us in the faith, and it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.