Most of the West really has a consumeristic mentality about church. Doctrine and theology is not being taught. There's been this unhitching, so to speak, of the Old Testament to the New Testament. There is a call at this time to renew that first love. God, if suffering comes, help me fear you more and fear living a life that I honor you more than my own comfort.
At this stage, we need a revival from heaven. For God so loved humanity that He gave His one and only Son to die for you so that you might have eternal life. Across the country, God is stirring hearts and a movement is growing. a movement of prayer, a call to revival. Wake up and ignite the rest of the church.
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Learn more about AWAKE America and ways for you to participate. Click over to awakeamerica.com.
That's awakeamerica.com. It is one thing to humble yourself before God when your prayers are answered. And it is another thing to humble yourself before God and be broken before God when God says no to your prayer. Dr. Michael Usap.
It is one thing to feel blessed of God all over when things are going hunky-dory with you. But how do you feel when God says to you, not you, thank you very much. I got something else in mind. Thank you for joining listeners worldwide for leading the way with Dr. Michael Youssef, where life intersects the Bible in practical and world-impacting ways.
A young shepherd boy, David, was chosen to be the next king of Israel. But first God needed to mature him into the warrior and leader that Israel needed. doctor Youssef's teaching series, David, Portrait of a Champion, walks you through key moments in his incredible journey from shepherd to king. Today on Leading the Way, valuable lessons for your journey. Be turning with us to 2 Samuel chapter 7 as Dr.
Michael Youssef begins today's episode. If you have been watching the secular media, There are magazine articles and television programs and reviving that age-old question and what is happiness and how can I get it. I guess we have come so far in our prosperity, we have come so far in our technology, we have come so far in our science, and we're finding that no panacea and that emptiness and the void that is in the heart of a secular man and a secular woman is only growing. Nothing is fulfilling it.
Some think that happiness can be purchased, so they gave it their all in order to find it, but they still can't find it. There are some people who think that money will buy them happiness and when they get the money they discover that there's no happiness there.
Somehow our society seemed to be spending their health to get wealth and once they get wealth they spend their wealth in order to get their health back. It's too late by that time. It is not surprising, therefore. that the first beatitude in Matthew 5.3 Jesus said, Happy are those who are poor in spirit.
Now there's some sanctimonious people who take that out of context and say, happy are the poor. That's not what the Bible said. There is no virtue in poverty. And I am no prosperity preacher, but I want to tell you, there is no virtue in poverty. Amen?
And those who twist the scripture and say, blessed are the poor, it is not what Jesus said. It takes it completely out of context. It messes up the scripture. Jesus is saying, happy are those who depend on God because happiness does not depend on doing, it does not depend on possessing. Happiness depends on being.
And being poor in spirit means that you are feeling in a state of spiritual lack. That you're feeling in a state of spiritual hunger, that you are in a state of spiritual thirst, that you are in a state of spiritual dependence upon the King of Kings, a state of spiritual inadequacy and therefore relying on the Lord God. The poor in spirit are those in whom the pride of the will, the pride of the intellect and the pride of the heart is bent and governed by the authority of the King of Kings. The poor in spirit are those who are conscious of their own inadequacy. Listen, there are a lot of people running around in the Christian church saying, I am worthy, I am worthy because I am worthy, God chose me.
No, nonsense. It is not biblical. The poor in spirit are those who are conscious of their own inadequacy. The poor in spirit are those who are conscious of their own unworthiness. Why?
Because they are conscious of their own failures. Recently I came across an incredible quote. You will never guess. Who wrote these words? You're just not going to guess it, so might as well give up now.
Don't try. But listen carefully as I read it. Through many years of active public life and through observing many kinds of people, I have found that the strongest, the wisest, and the most competent and reliable man is the one who is first to admit his inadequacy. Contradictory though it may sound, He is strong because he's humble. He always remembers that man is a creation of God.
No rule of life is more basic. When one leans on his own understandings, lives by his own strength, boasts of his own accomplishment, and claims that he is his own master, the result. Is untold suffering. Even though his position is maintained and his wealth is increased. Success turns quickly into failure when God is forgotten.
There is no peace of mind, there is no personal satisfaction, no experience. of true inner joy. To trust in the Lord with all the heart is the mark of strength. It is the only path to true fulfillment. Not a great theologian, not a well-known preacher, not an evangelist.
Those were the words of J. Edgar Hoover. The former head of the FBI. Don't misunderstand me now. I don't want you to get me wrong here.
And I am not talking about false humility that somehow denies, ignores, or undermines the gifts that God has given us and the talent that God has given us. I am talking about having received those gifts, we acknowledge God not only as the source of these gifts, as the giver of these gifts, but as the sustainer of these gifts, as the user of these gifts in every minute of every day, without his sustenance of these gifts that he has given us, we would fall like a rock. And sincere humility is where you going to and I are going to find David today. In 2 Samuel chapter 7, He is in sincere humility. There you're going to find David.
That he was not spoiled by success. There you're going to find him not being giddy by the height of his position. There you're going to find him not with a swollen head by the victories that he received. There you find David has not forgotten the Lord his God when prosperity began to engulf him. Instead, you're going to find that his deepest concern is the honor of the Lord God, that his heart desires to put God first, that his primary preoccupation is to put God and the worship of God ahead of his own business, the deepest longing in his heart was to put the kingdom of God ahead of his own kingdom.
David couldn't stand the fact. that he was living in luxury. and the word of God is languishing in a tent. And that was foremost in his mind. I wonder how many of us can really say, I put God's work ahead of mine.
I really put God's kingdom ahead of mine. I really put God first in everything. The work of the kingdom, the work of the gospel, that's really what's preoccupying my mind. Look at verse 2 of chapter 7. And we wonder why God is not sending survival.
That is why not sending us a revival because we're not seeking his kingdom first. Nathan the prophet come to David? In the initial stage, When David went to Nathan and said, I want to build a house for God. Because the Ark of God is languishing in the tent, what he said, like typical preacher, he said, great, do it. But then he went and prayed.
And then God said to Nathan, You go over and tell David there's some details that he needs to understand, that he's not the one to build me the temple. Then he comes back. immediately back to David and lay the bad news on him. Because I want to tell you, please listen to me very carefully. This is very important.
If you forget everything else I'm saying, I don't want you to forget this one. It is one thing to humble yourself before God. When your prayers are answered, And it is another thing to humble yourself before God and be broken before God when God says no to your prayer. It is one thing to feel blessed of God all over when things are going hunky-dory with you. But how do you feel?
When God says to you, not you, thank you very much. I got something else in mind. 1 Chronicles 17, 3 is a repetition of that same incident in 2 Samuel 7. And there bluntly, Nathan tells David, he said to him, Thus says the Lord, that thou art not to build me a house to dwell in. In both 2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17, the Bible said.
after David heard Nathan, After he heard this disappointing news, after he heard this heartbreaking news for him personally, the Bible said he got up and he prayed. King David went and he sat before the Lord. I'm going to examine that prayer because it's so powerful. And I hope that it's a training program for all of us to learn how to pray. This man had just been denied the fulfillment of his vision.
He'd just been denied the fulfillment of his dream. But instead of sulking about it, he went and he prayed that others can do it. David was saying in effect, Lord, I cannot. personally build the temple. But I'll do my part to help Solomon build it.
David saying, in effect, Lord, although I will not have the pleasure of serving you, that way myself which I really wanted to do so badly. but I'm going to stand behind those who are going to do it. God, I'm not able to serve you full time, but I'll stand with those who will. But I'm going to give you the other side of this. Because this, in David's case, it is true humility.
Humility is not just being a doormat and looking like one. This is true humility, what we're seeing here. On the other hand, I know from my own life. When I ran from the Lord for so long, And he was constantly pursuing me. In fact, I thought that I really could hide from the Lord and somehow But he can find me every time I try to hide from him.
My desire was to be like my brothers who are successful in banking and in business. I wanted to do well and then support ministers. You know what the Lord said to me? That is the source of pride in your life. Because sometimes God may be calling some of you to go to ministry and you are refusing it out of pride.
It works both ways. Let's look at that sevenfold prayer. That David have prayed After God said no to his dream, It is very important. Mark it down. Because some people think that prayer is basically going to God with your grocery list.
And you just say, God, give me this, God, give me this, God, give me that, God, I need this, God, do this for me, God, God. God doesn't get upset with that. Don't misunderstand me. I'm not telling you to stop. But you can't call that Full knowledge of prayer.
If you really want to understand the full knowledge of prayer, look at this sevenfold prayer of David. Verse 18, David first of all attributes all to God's grace. Who am I? Lord God. And what is my house?
that you have brought me thus far. And here is a genuine feeling of unworthiness. And a genuine feeling of unworthiness is true humility. Paul said that the very reason why salvation is by grace and grace alone is that no one but no one but no one could ever boast. I want to ask you a question.
When you get to heaven, what are you going to say to God? God, I am here because of my desire to serve you. God, I'm here because I made the right decision of following you. Got it, I am here because of my hard work. God, I'm here because I have chosen you when I could have refused.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Jesus said, I have chosen you, you have not chosen me. You know why so many people Now walking around filled with self-importance. I'll tell you what the problem is. They really don't understand the grace of God.
You know the reason why other people walk around carrying the world on their shoulder? You seen some of those? Do you know some of those? Are you one of those?
Well, you're not going to admit it. You know what? Because they're playing God. We are playing God. Every Now and again, I make a practice of sending God my resignation as his deputy on the face of the earth.
It's good practice. They saw releasing. It's so relieving. I remember the story of a violinist who was playing and he played so magnificently in a concert. I mean he was really great.
And at the end of the concert, this lady came running down. She's coming, run down, run down. I said, maestro, maestro, maestro, oh, you are, you are God. And with a perfect solemnity, He looked at her, he said, yes, madam, and such a responsibility. And so many of us desperately need to release ourselves from the responsibility of playing God.
And let God be on the throne and you be the servant for a change. Let him be the master and you the servant. We need to be released of that, both with ourselves. for ourselves and in our relationship with others. And David realized his nothingness.
His unworthiness. I better hurry up, otherwise, we'll never finish. Number two: David apprehends the greatness of God. Verse 22. Therefore you are great, O Lord.
For there is none like you. And there is no God beside you according to all that we've heard with our ears. You know what? There are many Christians who fall into danger of becoming preoccupied with the love of God. That they forget about the holiness of God.
There's so many Christians who appreciate the tender mercy of God. And they ignore his omnipotence. They talk about his amazing grace. But throughout their life they take it for granted. Paid lip service.
Come on Sunday, another acquaintance with the Almighty, acknowledge him, and for the rest of the week, do the thing. I want to tell you, comprehending the greatness of God, comprehending the majesty of God. It's such an awesome task for any believer. To think that God delights in fellowshipping with us. Should put us on our faces.
David attributes it all to God's grace. He apprehends the greatness of God. And thirdly, David affirms the goodness of God. Verse 23. Special blessings of God call for special acknowledgements.
The redemption that is ours in Jesus Christ demands our loudest praise. Did you hear what I said? I don't like it. When somebody comes to me at the end of a service, you know, I just wanted to shout hallelujah. I said, why didn't you?
You afraid of the guy next to you?
Well, he's probably wanting to do the same thing. You get up and you scream when there's a touchdown, and I want to tell you when Jesus put it on the cross and he said, It is finished, that is the greatest touchdown of the whole universe. Give him praise. The salvation full and free requires us of giving our all. The grace of God, when you begin to comprehend it, it propels us to a deeper gratitude.
Fourthly, David was affirming the covenant with God. Look at verse 24. God always keeps his end of the bargain. God always keeps his side of the contract. He never changes it.
God is not sitting in heaven as some people think with a pencil and an eraser and the book of life in front of him. And then, when you repent, he puts your name in the book of life with a pencil. No, it is written by the blood of the Lamb. And then when you blow it, he turns the pencil upside down and then he erases your name. When you repent, he writes it down.
When you blow it again, he erases it. Then he puts it. What do you think God is doing up there? No! That is thoroughly unbiblical.
God is a faithful God. He is not sitting in heaven writing your name and then erasing it. God always always keeps his side of the covenant. We are the covenant breakers. And just like the song said, prone to wonder, Lord, I feel, prone to leave the God I love.
He to rescue me from danger. interposed his Precious blood. David attributed it all to the grace of God. He apprehended the greatness of God. He affirmed the goodness of God.
And he affirmed the covenant with God. And fifthly, David is asserting the promises of God. Verse 25. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word you have spoken concerning your servant. and his house.
Nathan in the first 18 verses Repeated the covenant. David now is affirming it. And he's doing basically two things. Number one, he's believing the promise of God. There's so many people.
who believe that God can keep his promise. And that doesn't honor God at all. What honors God is believing that God will keep his promise. If it takes a million years, he's going to keep it.
Now we can't be patient enough, of course, to wait for his time. That's our problem. You believe the promises and then You call upon him, you plead with him to fulfill his promise. God speaks His promise, but He also fulfills His promise. Don't you ever forget it?
The Bible said in the book of Numbers 23, 19, God is not a man that he should lie or a son of man that he should repent. Has he said and will not do it or has he spoken and will not fulfill it? You know what faith does? Faith says, I know that my God is not only a promising God, but he also a performing God. I know that my God is not only a faithful God, faithful in his calling, but he's also faithful in keeping.
I know that my God is not only a covenant-making God, but He is a covenant-keeping God. I know that my God is not only... a convicting God, but he is a forgiving God. I know that my God is not only a calling God, but he's also a receiving God. I know that my God is not only an initiating God, but He's also a complete Yeah.
For Paul tells us That he who began good works in you is able to bring it to completion. From beginning to end, it's all God's work. What a privileged people we are. David attributed all to the grace of God. He apprehended the greatness of God.
He affirmed the goodness of God. David affirmed the covenant with God and he asserted the promises of God. Number six. He announces the glory of God. Verses 26 and 27.
You know how Jesus taught in the Lord's Prayer? You notice? It began with the glory of God and it ends with the glory of God. That's how our prayer should be. No, just Lord, I thank you and then get into your grocery list.
No, hallowed be thy name. To thine be the glory. His glory should be our constant and consistent aim. That's what we do in prayer. You know what?
When I start praising the Lord in my private time and I began to bless his name and I began to glorify his name, Most times the list that I have It's already been prayed for. has already been answered. Lastly, David A's tributes To God's faithfulness. Verses 28. And 29.
You know one thing about David? how many times he fumbled and stumbled, but with all of that He built his hope Not on his perfection. But he built his hope on the fidelity and the faithfulness of God. Thank you again for joining Dr. Michael Youssef for leading the way.
And as you've listened, maybe some faith questions have come to mind. Perhaps you'd like to speak with someone. And if so, we invite you to begin a conversation with a leading-the way pastor or counselor. To connect, fill out a short contact form at ltw.org/slash Jesus. You know, God has gathered many uniquely gifted team members out leading the way.
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Passionate, dedicated people who risk their lives and freedoms to reach the lost with the truth of Jesus and to disciple believers in the faith. Join me in prayer, asking for God's protection and wisdom as these precious people answer their calling and use their unique gifts for the Lord's service. If you'd like to learn more about what Leading the Way is doing all around the world, start at ltw dot org or call us. Speak with a ministry representative in the ministry call center. That number is eight six six Six two six four three four.
Yeah. That's ltw.org and 866-626-4356. This program is brought to you by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youset.
Okay.
