DAVID – A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART #24 A DIGNIFIED ENDING
DATE: 2/8/2009 am
TEXT: I Chronicles 29:26-30 (I Chronicles 28 & 29)
INTRODUCTION:
We have been studying the life of David for some time
We have watched as a boy became a man
We have watched as the shepherd became a king
We have followed David in success and in defeat
We have seen him in glory and we have seen him in sin
We have watched David as he enjoyed the blessings of his God and …
We have watched him as he endured the consequences of his sins
His life has challenged us, because there are so many parallels between his experience and ours
We’ve been able to identify with David
In our text / we find David at the end of the trail / as far as this life in concerned
He is seventy years old A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30
He has reigned as king for forty years
He is about to pass the torch to the next generation
Before he does / David has some last words for those who have gathered around him –
I Chronicles 28:1 – “And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem.”
In these last words of David / we can see what occupied his thoughts as he reached the end of his life
In his last words/ we read about “A Dignified Ending” to a life pleasing to the Lord.
Let’s examine these last words of the old king
In them / we will encounter some characteristics that should mark the end of our own lives
As the Lord gives liberty/ I like to preach about …
“A Dignified Ending”
2 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30
~~~OPENING PRAYER~~~
I. IT WAS A TIME OF “REFLECTION” - vs. 28:2-8
A. David Thinks Back – vs. 2-3
David lets us know that the last days of his life were filled with thoughts of a dream that he never saw fulfilled
David had wanted to build a temple for the Lord / but God had said “No” …
Telling him instead that his son / the next king would build the temple –
II Samuel 7:1-17 -
This had been a great disappointment to David
But / David did not allow the Lord’s “No” to derail him
Instead David gathered the necessary materials to build the temple
So that Solomon would have what he needed when the time came
In David’s words / he was a man who would die with an unfulfilled dream still in his heart
3 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 But / David did not look back on what God had not allowed him to do
He / instead / looked back on what God had allowed him to do
He tells us that God had chosen him to be king!
David the youngest son of an unknown family to be the king over God’s people Israel - v. 4!
God had blessed him greatly / promising to establish his kingdom forever - vs. 5-7.
David rejoices that God has chosen his son Solomon for a special relationship - v. 6.
Instead of focusing on what God had not done in his life /
David reflected back on what God had done in his life
Truth: In doing so / he displays an attitude that we should all have / especially when the end of life draws near
David Thinks Back
B. Don’t let Life’s Disappointments Dominate Your Life
If we’re not careful / we will come to the end of life bitter / disappointed / disillusioned / …
Why? because we did not get to see the fulfillment of our dreams
4 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 As we age / it becomes clearer that some of our dreams are not going to happen
What do we do with those shattered dreams?
We can become bitter because God said “No” to our dream
Or / we can look back with joy / thankful for the things that God did bring into our lives
I suppose that it all boils down to who we believe had the best plans
We can sit around and mope about what we did not get …
Or we can thank Him for what we did get
We can blame Him for what we think we missed out on …
Or we can rejoice in what He brought into our lives
It comes down to a matter of sovereignty
Who is God in our lives / us or Him?
If we are the masters of our own destiny / then don’t blame God for unfulfilled dreams / blame yourself
If God is the Lord of your life / then thank Him for what He has done …
Because He has brought into your life the things that were best for you – 5 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
David Thinks Back
Don’t let Life’s Disappointments Dominate Your Life
C. What To Do With Your Shattered Dreams
So, what kind of shattered dreams are you looking back on today?
Maybe you wanted more from your marriage
Maybe you wanted your children to accomplish certain things
Maybe you wanted to achieve certain goals along the way
Maybe you are disappointed in your financial success
Maybe you wanted to succeed in some ministry
Maybe you had big plans and goals for life / but none of them have been achieved
Now / your realizing that just maybe those things will never come to pass
What does that do to you?
How does that make you feel?
6 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 Are you content with where the Lord has brought you in life?
Or, are you bitter that things have not turned out like you planned them?
The best thing to do with the past and its broken dreams is to let it go!
Thank God for where He has brought you and what He has done in and through your life
Learn the lesson of contentment that Paul talked about in –
Philippians 4:11-13 -
I am sure that he never dreamed he would die like he did /
Psalm 116:15 – “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”
But he was content to allow the Lord to have His way
Are you?
IT WAS A TIME OF “REFLECTION”
II. IT WAS A TIME OF “RESPONSIBILITY” vs. 28:9-29:1
Now / David speaks to Solomon
He realizes that the young man standing before him is about to shoulder an awesome responsibility 7 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 He is untried and untested / but he is about to become the King of Israel
He is about to take the reigns of the nation and David knows that he needs a few words of instruction
David speaks to Solomon on two levels:
A. First in His Relationship to God – 28:9
He challenges Solomon to Know God / to Serve God / and to Seek God.
David knows that if Solomon is to be the kind of king he needs to be / then he is going to have to develop an intimate relationship with God
He is cautioned to keep his heart and thought life pure
David wants Solomon to be a Saved man, a Serving man, a Seeking man and a Sold Out man!
David is speaking these words from experience
David knew the blessing of walking with God and he knew about the pain of turning away
Therefore / he challenges Solomon to stay close and to stay clean
Truth: These are the kind of traits every godly parent wants to see in the lives of their children
8 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 We should be striving to instill these characteristics into our children as they grow and mature
If I can live to see my children fulfill these words of David to Solomon / I can die rejoicing
There is no greater joy than to know that one’s children are living lives pleasing to the Lord! (III John 4)
First in His Relationship to God
B. Second in His Reign Over The People – 28:10-21
In verses 10-19 / David gives Solomon the plans and the materials for the construction of the temple
He challenges Solomon to get to the job and to do it right!
Then / David turns his attention to Solomon the King
He speaks of the pressures and the doubts that come along with the title of King
He reminds Solomon that no matter what the future holds / he can count on the Lord’s presence / power and promises to help him make it through
What a blessed hope to instill in one’s child!
Truth: We must be careful that we do not fill our children’s heads with our own doubts / fears and prejudices
9 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 We must never teach them to fret or to worry
They need to see us trusting the Lord by faith
They need to know that God will never leave them nor forsake them –
Hebrews 13:5 – “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
They need to know that God will guide their steps –
Psalm 37:23 – “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”
They need to know that God will bring them safely through this life
You see / much of what our children know about God / they learn from their parents
That places a great weight of responsibility on our shoulders
IT WAS A TIME OF “REFLECTION”
IT WAS A TIME OF “RESPONSIBILITY”
III. IT WAS A TIME OF “RELIANCE” - vs. 29:10-19
In 29:2-9 / David challenges the people of Israel to give to the work of the temple
They do so willingly – end of v.5 – beginning of v.7 10 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 When they do / David lifts his voice in a prayer
Let’s look at David’s prayer for just a moment:
A. The Example of David’s Prayer
Here at the end of the road / David is still praising the Lord - vs. 10-11
He still has a sweet spirit
He is still able to praise the Lord for His grace / His blessings and His sovereign power - vs. 12-13
His is still amazed at what the Lord has done for him through the years - vs. 14-18
He is still praying for others - v. 19
David sets a great example for the rest of God’s saints
The Example of David’s Prayer
B. The Extent of David’s Prayer
The end of life is not a time to let up on spiritual disciplines
It is not the time to stop praying
The end of life is best spent at the altar of prayer
Seeking the Lord / praising His name / calling on the Lord on behalf of others 11 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 The end of life is a time to draw closer to the God
Truth: Far too many people have the attitude that they have what they have by their own power and efforts
They feel that their success in life came about by their own abilities, efforts
So many people fail to see the necessity for leaning solely upon the Lord
I pray the Lord will help me to reach the end of the way –
Rejoicing in His blessings
Thankful for His grace
Leaning on His arms
Illustration: I was headed for Hell when He found me
He saved me by His grace and He has blessed me in ways that defy belief
I never want to get to the place where I take credit for who I am and what I achieve in life
I want to stay tender and dependent upon the Lord
How about you?
IT WAS A TIME OF “REFLECTION”
12 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 IT WAS A TIME OF “RESPONSIBILITY”
IT WAS A TIME OF “RELIANCE”
IV. IT WAS A TIME OF “REJOICING” – vs.29:20-25
A. David’s Praise
David’s life concludes not with sadness / but with rejoicing
He leads the congregation in offering worship and praise to the Lord
They celebrate his life and they rejoice in their new king
David doesn’t go out with a whimper / he goes out with a bang!
He leaves this life praising the Lord
B. The End of Life
The end of life does not have to be a sad time!
It’s possible to leave this life on a high note when it has been well lived
We always mourn when death takes our loved ones
That is right and proper / for they will be missed.
However / when we mourn / we do so for ourselves / because we know that we will miss them 13 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 If they knew the Lord / we can rejoice because we know where they are –
II Corinthians 5:8 – “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
And / we can know that they are doing far better than they ever have –
Revelation 21:4 – “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
C. The Comfort of Knowing God
In this passage, it is the dying man who is rejoicing
David seems to have no fear regarding his impending death
He does not seem upset by the fact that his earthly journey is about over
Why?
He knows the Lord and knows where he is going
That kind of knowledge gives great comfort!
14 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 It always troubles me when I meet a person who is afraid of death
It makes me wonder where they stand with God
The believer knows that God has promised to bring His children safely home at the end of the way –
II Timothy 1:12 – “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
The end of the road is not a time to dread, / it’s a time to rejoice
Can you see the end drawing ever closer?
How are you going to meet that day?
Will you face it with dread and fear?
Or, like David, will you be able to rejoice in the day of your death?
IT WAS A TIME OF “REFLECTION”
IT WAS A TIME OF “RESPONSIBILITY”
IT WAS A TIME OF “RELIANCE”
IT WAS A TIME OF “REJOICING”
15 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 CONCLUSION: Read Chapter 29 vs. 26-30
With the death of David came the end of a era
Israel’s second king was her best and brightest
But / the lessons we learn from the life of David still speak today
David was a Man after God’s own Heart!
As we consider the end of David’s life / let’s consider the end of our own lives
How do we want to finish the race?
Like David / I want to finish strong with a song
I want to end up remembering –
God’s blessing
Carrying out my responsibilities
Relying on the Lord and rejoicing in Him
I want to finish like Paul – II Timothy 4:6-8
“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
16 A Dignified Ending – I Chronicles 29:26-30 the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing,”
Here’s the INVITATION:
If there are areas in your life that needs adjustment this is the time to deal with them
Are there some broken dreams you would like to surrender to God?
Are there some responsibilities you need to fulfill?
Are you relying on the Lord as you should?
Are you rejoicing as the end of life gets closer?
If the Lord has spoken to your heart today / please hear His voice and come to Him!
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