FHBC Sermon Notes

While it is laudable for us to show mercy to others, this point isn't about showing mercy to one another, but about the reception towards David of underserved mercy.  In pride David decides in this passage to count the people, the mighty men that he has, so he can know how "mighty" his army may be.  God judges David for this and given three choices for either famine, destruction by their enemies, or the judgment and destruction from the hand of God.  He appeals and throws himself on the mercy of God.  In response God proves himself a merciful God and on the plea of David, stops the plague short of its promised end.  On this place, where David pleaded with God, is the location that the temple would be built.  What a testament to the mercy of God.

>Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!" You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever! Psalms 30:10-12

Part of the legacy building of the Christian is to point out the unworthiness of ourselves, and the mercy that our own salvation demonstrates.  God's grace in our lives is what demonstrates to others around us, the amazing saving work of God.  This shines the light of salvation on not only our lives but on all of those that we share our lives with.

At the center of all history and reality is God.  The perfectly righteous, holy, beautiful and loving God.  There is no one like him.  Therefore, among every age and time, with all peoples everywhere, we are to be worshiping God.  There are so many that strive a lifetime to build something that is outside the God, with no acknowledgment of his glory.  They are missing the very point of living.

In this passage David pleading with God sets up a alter of worship.  2 Samuel ends with God showing David mercy, and stopping the plague, but 1 Chronicles continues and points that that threshing floor where David pleaded would become the ultimate place of worship for the nation.  It was there very location where the Holy-of-Holies would be erected.  There the presence of God would dwell amongst the nation. (1 Chronicles 21:18-30). From this point forward, from chapter 22 to the end is the preparation of building of the temple.  Worship demonstrated here is central to the life of God's people.  This is not a museum, or an architectural marvel to viewing.  No, this is the place of worship.  The center of the life of God's People!  This is the same with us. Let us not forsake the gathering of the saints.

Our worship is directly linked to our desire to know him, and to know more about him.  The quality of our worship is a direct product of how we seek our knowledge of him, and how we practice worship in our daily life.  Let us not just give God the left-overs. Let us seek him, and love him with all of our heart, mind and soul.

God desires us to be a obedient people.  David in 1 Chronicles encourages Solomon to seek and obey God.  Some might say, how can David say this.  He broke half of the ten commandments in the course of one chapter.  But David learned obedience from the discipline of the Lord.  David threw himself at the foot of the throne of God.

We often use this as a measure of how well we are doing.  How often do we say things like, how much can I "afford" to give to the church.  Yet this is so not the point.  We divide our lives, our churches, into questions of affordability.  But David puts everything forward to the glory and praise of God. 

What is so awesome about the Chronicles is their vision towards the promise of a Messiah.  David leads Israel to the height of its Golden Age.  All kings after him fail to live up to this.  Yet, David at the end of his life, didn't look back and say, "look at the last forty years," and recount how great things were.  Chronicles, written in a time of depression, points to what David points to at the end of his life.  That the greatest of times was in the future.  Because what he was looking at was Jesus, the Messiah.  Jesus reigns in heaven this moment, and we also look forward to day will that reign will be shown to all people everywhere.  We the children of God, part of the Kingdom of God, we live also in anticipation of God's glory to come.