Go the Way of All the Earth video audio notes

Go the Way of All the Earth sermon video audio notes. David died. What have we learned from David? Life is not easy. You are a target of hell, but you can keep a heart for God through every giant, Saul, wilderness, cave, sin, personal problem, family problem, even to the time to go the way of all the earth.

DAVID THE KING
By Delbert Young

Go the Way of All the Earth sermon video audio notes

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Go the Way of All the Earth sermon video audio notes

Scriptures: Acts 13:36, 1 Kings 2:1-3, 1:1-2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 34-35, 1 Chronicles 28:2-3, 4, 1 Kings 2:1-3, 10-11, Acts 13:22

“The hands that swung the sling hang limp. The feet that danced before the ark now shuffle. Though his eyes are still sharp, his hair is gray, and skin sags beneath his beard.”

Acts 13:36 For when David had served GOD’S PURPOSE in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.

It’s interesting how God provides people for a specific generation. Did you realize you are here at a specific time for a specific generation with a God purpose? How are you doing with your purpose?

There are some people, not a lot, whose lives are so unique they literally begin an era, and with their passing, end an era. They were so exceptional at what they accomplished that no one can replace them. Their thinking, their creativity, and their ability to do it differently change time and change lives. Of course, David was such a life. No one ever replaced, or came close to being who and what David was. David began and ended an era. Perhaps you know some era-changing/life-changing people. We only get to know a few in a lifetime and that’s only if we have the ability to recognize and appreciate them.

How about you? Are you happy with what you are accomplishing in your generation? If not, do God’s purpose and you will be.

David’s story began in a sheep pasture close to Bethlehem. It was a pasture not known to the world, but known by God. God sent his prophet Samuel to seek out the young boy, anoint him, and tell him what God wanted him to be. Bethlehem’s boy became Israel’s king and, at the same time, became the target of hell. The road to David’s purpose traveled through a giant, a deranged king, a wilderness desert, caves, battles, falling into sin, family problems, heartbreaking wounds, and serious failures. Amazingly, David’s rough road and failures never changed David’s heart. HE WAS THE MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART.

Where did your story begin? It might not be a place known to the world, but it was a place known by God. God sent someone to tell you about Jesus and anoint you with his Holy Spirit. I hope that along the way someone told you what God said you could be. You have a God purpose and, you too, are the target of hell. The road to your purpose leads through giants, deranged people, wilderness deserts, caves, battles, falling into sin, family problems, and heartbreaking wounds. You have experienced great successes and great failures. The question is not, did or will these things happen? The question is, “Do you still have a heart for God,” or has hell changed your heart?

I watch so many people begin their journey.

I hear so many people say they love the Lord God with all their hearts. In brief, I watch hands and hearts raised weekly to rededicate or receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, but then I watch hell change their hearts. David’s heart never changed.

1 Kings 2:1-3 When the time drew near for David to die… “I am about to go THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH,” he said.

The last days of David’s life are as interesting as all the other days. I want to point out three concerns that I believe each of us will consider as we come close to the time of going THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH.

(1) CHILDREN

1 Kings 1:1-2 When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. So his servants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”

I have always chuckled at this passage. I probably should not have added it to our study, but it does tell us about David and what people knew/thought about him. David was old and became sick. People became concerned. In David’s past as we have seen, a beautiful woman always “stirred” life in David. The thought was, “Let’s put a beautiful woman with him and see what happens.”

1 Kings 1:3-4 Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.

“Yup… David’s dying!” If a beautiful woman can’t warm David up, he is on his way out. Why is knowing this important for our study of DAVID? The next verse says…

1 Kings 1:5-6 Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never interfered with him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)

Adonijah was one of David’s sons. The word translated interfered in 1 Kings 1:6 is the Hebrew word `atsab which means to carve, i.e. fabricate or fashion; hence (in a bad sense) to worry, pain or anger. David never spent time with Adonijah and never trained or disciplined him. Obviously, there were behavior problems with Adonijah.

Remember, Amnon, David’s oldest son, was killed by Absalom’s men for raping Tamar. Absalom was dead… killed by Joab when Absalom rebelled against David. When it was determined that David was dying, a chain reaction began. Adonijah figured he was next in line to be king, so he put himself forward never speaking to David about it. That was a bad move on Adonijah’s part and shows us again the poor relationship David had with his children.

Nathan the prophet knew Solomon was to be the next king. And Nathan knew he, Bathsheba, and Solomon would be executed by Adonijah if Adonijah became king. Nathan spoke to Bathsheba. Bathsheba and Nathan told David what Adonijah had done. David had all his leaders declare and anoint Solomon king.

1 Kings 1:34-35 There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”

Adonijah was killed after David’s death by the order of Solomon (1Ki 2:25). Isn’t it sad that on David’s deathbed, he is forced to deal with his own rebellious children? There’s a heartbreaking contrast between being proud of your children and feeling successful and being brokenhearted about your children and feeling a failure.

As I thought about this, I couldn’t help but remember my brother-in-law just before he died. One of the last conversations we had, with only a few weeks to live, was about his children who have not turned out very well. He said something to me like, “I don’t know what happened. Where did I go wrong? What did we do wrong? I hate that I am about to die, my children turned out so badly, and their mother will be forced to deal with them.” Though he was a good man and successful, he felt a failure on his deathbed because of his children.

On David’s deathbed, his heart breaks because of his children. How about you? What relationship do you have with your children? Do you “interfere” with them – carve them, fabricate or fashion them; or are they a worry and a pain or anger you? You will consider this as your time comes close to GO THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH.

(2) I HAD IT IN MY HEART TO…

1 Chronicles 28:2-3 King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I HAD IT IN MY HEART TO build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. BUT GOD said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, BECAUSE you are a warrior and have shed blood.’

David did and accomplished so very much. However, the one thing he desired to do more than anything, he couldn’t do. Why? Because of who and what he was – a warrior and shed blood. It wasn’t because he didn’t have the resources. Also, it wasn’t because he didn’t love God. Furthermore, it wasn’t because he didn’t have the desire or ability. The fact is it was because… But God said… My point is David’s bloodthirsty past stopped David from doing what David desperately wanted to do – build the Temple of God. Did David become upset? No. Instead, his But God became Yet God.

(NASB) 1 Chronicles 28:4 “YET, THE LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever… HE TOOK PLEASURE IN ME to make me king over all Israel.

Instead of focusing on what he did not accomplish, David thanked God for all God chose and allowed him to accomplish. David said, “He took pleasure in me…”

I can’t help but think about me. I have in my heart to see thousands of people come worship God every Sunday… But God… Am I upset? Heavens NO! YET GOD took pleasure in me to pastor and teach and study. I am now going on three decades and I am so appreciative of what God has chosen me to do and allowed me to do. YET GOD TOOK PLEASURE IN ME and I am a blessed man.

How about you? What else would you want to accomplish in your life that you might not get to do? Many of you are too young to even think about it, but some of us who are closer to GOING THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH can’t help but think about it. My one word of direction to you all is don’t do anything that could possibly cause the Lord God to not allow you to do it. Remember, Yet God takes pleasure in you and will do some amazing things for, with, and through you.

When it comes time for you to GO THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH, you will think about children and what was in your heart to do.

(3) LAST THOUGHTS AND ADVICE

Under David, the nation increased in size by ten times. All the nation’s enemies, even the Philistines, were beaten back. Israel was a formidable and respected foe under David’s leadership. David began great commerce trade. Under David, the nation went from a little nothing to a mighty nation. It was one of the most powerful nations on earth at that time and David was one of the richest men on earth. He was about to hand it all over to Solomon, his son. He couldn’t take it with him.

What were some of the last thoughts and advice from a man that successful, that powerful, and that wealthy?

Have you ever thought about what you would say if you knew you were about to GO THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH and you could capsule a summation of your best life’s advice to your child who was also your successor? The success and survival of your grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and your future generations need your best advice. What would you say? Here is what David said.

1 Kings 2:1-3 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to GO THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man, and OBSERVE WHAT THE LORD YOUR GOD REQUIRES: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go

David boiled it all down. It wasn’t about women. Neither was it about power. Nor was it about success. And, it wasn’t about wealth. The best advice he could give to his son, successor, his lineage to come, and the lineage of the Messiah was OBSERVE WHAT THE LORD YOUR GOD REQUIRES. If you do, you will prosper in all you do and wherever you go.

That’s interesting. For prosperity in everything and prosperity wherever you go depends upon observing what the Lord REQUIRES. What does the Lord require? If I asked you to make a list of what the Lord REQUIRES, what would be on your list?

I pray I have communicated that one thing to my children – OBSERVE WHAT THE LORD YOUR GOD REQUIRES. So far, they seem to have heard it. Sadly, I don’t see this communicated very well to children today. How effectively do you feel you are communicating that to your children? It’s easy to know. Take a look at them. Are they observing what the Lord your God requires?

So, David handed the scepter to Solomon. Can you see it? The day comes when each of us passes on our scepter and we GO THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH.

1 Kings 2:10-11 Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. He had reigned forty years over Israel – seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

What have we learned from David? I trust much.

A HEART FOR GOD… David was not perfect, but he always kept a heart for God.

WHO’S YOUR GIANT… We all face giant problems in life, but is your problem your giant, or is your God your giant?

A COVENANT FRIEND… Insane Sauls rage in the world, but God gives us one or two covenant friends in a lifetime to counteract them.

CRUTCH REMOVING… At some point in every life, God removes every crutch and requires us to climb into his everlasting arms.

THE CAVE… The Lord will put you into a cave with the expressed purpose of rerouting you, refocusing you, and rebuilding you.

MERCY OR VENGEANCE… You will never regret not stabbing someone messing in your life. You will never regret forgiving someone who does not deserve it. It’s then you are the most like God.

WHO’S THE FOOL?… Anger is a form of insanity and we are never more of a fool than when angry.

CAMPING WITH THE ENEMY… Sometimes we get too close to the enemy. Expect to lose everything when you do. You can get it back, but it’s a long major battle.

Go the Way of All the Earth sermon video audio notes

WHEN THE MIGHTY FALL… What will your obituary say? When people you don’t like fall or die, how do you feel? Are you happy or sad? It shows your heart.

STRONGOLD… God has given us all a stronghold to dislodge. It is there God will establish his Jerusalem – his capital in you.

UZZAH UZZED… Never be irreverent about the things of God. Don’t gawk or mishandle the things of God.

PEACE AND REFLECTION… When we have times to reflect, they should be about God’s goodness and people. All of life hangs on love for God and people.

BALCONY ATTITUDE… David fell from his balcony into the arms of Bathsheba because of his power and attitude, not love or lust. People became a commodity. Pride comes before a fall.

DAVID, HOW’S YOUR FAMILY?… David set his own children up for failure – rape, hate, murder, rebellion. If you fail at family do you succeed at all?

A KING’S DECLARATION… If David was a presidential candidate today, would you vote for him?

A NATION’S LEADER BRINGS A NATION’S JUDGMENT… Our nation is at a critical place. God brings judgment on a nation through its leaders’ decisions.

GO THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH… Even the man after God’s own heart died. One day, we all will go the way all in the earth goes. You will die. Coming to terms with that means we desire to do a little better in our generation with our children, the things we want to accomplish.

Acts 13:22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

What have we learned from David? Life is not easy. You are a target of hell, but you can keep a heart for God through every giant, Saul, wilderness, cave, sin, personal problem, family problem, even to the time to GO THE WAY OF ALL THE EARTH.