Today, on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Only David. And this is remarkable, isn't it? Only David. In all of Scripture, Old Testament and New Testament, is described as a man after God's.
One heart. He is the shepherd. The Outlaw. and the cake. Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe.
Through great victories and failures, the life of King David is a rich example of a life of faith. In fact, David is the only person in the Bible described as a man after God's own heart. Today on the verdict, we continue our exciting new series on the life of David and how we can be people after God's own heart.
Now, to introduce today's message, here's Pastor John Monroe. Last time we began an exciting new series on the life of David. David is Israel's greatest king and also the major writer of the Psalms, the hymn book of ancient Israel. He's also mentioned in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament character. In Scripture, David is called a man after God's own heart.
Studying David is challenging and encouraging. As the scripture reveals the remarkable exploits of David, as well as his failures, his trials, and his missteps. Last time we saw that David's life can be divided into three main chapters. Shepherd Outlaw. And then came.
Join me now as we learn more about this remarkable man. I think, like me, you're intrigued by my God, we call David. A man after his own heart. Not a common description, in fact, a unique description. What a description!
And I want to mention four things that may help us understand why he's called a man after God's own heart. First of all, He is God's choice. Let's read that. In 1 Samuel 16, let's read the first 13 verses. Verse 1, the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you grieve over Saul?
Since I've rejected him from being king over Israel, Fill your horn with oil. And I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehem. For I have provided for myself a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.
And the Lord said, Take a heifer with you and say, I've come to sacrifice to the Lord, and invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you. Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to him trembling and said, Do you come peaceably? And he said, Peaceably, I've come to sacrifice to the Lord.
Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. Do you get the picture? When they came, He looked on Eliab and thought, surely the Lord's anointed is before him. But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance.
Or on the height of his stature. Eliab must have been a big fellow. Because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as a man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance.
But the Lord Looks on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel, and he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. Then Jesse made Shemma pass by, and he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen these.
Then Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? She said, There remains yet the youngest. But behold, he's keeping The shape. I mean, he's there, but. He's kidnapped at the sheep.
You get the picture? Samuel said to Jesse, Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here. And he sent and brought him in.
Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him. For this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.
And Samuel rose up and went to. Roman. A man after God's own heart. Why? He has chosen.
by God for a unique and a special task. Who was Saul? His predecessor Saul was the people's choice.
So, most of you know the story. Saul, Israel wants to be like other nations. They want a king. A god was to be their king, but they wanted a human leader. And God gave them their desire.
Saul is chosen, and he's a very impressive man physically. He's handsome, he's head and shoulders above everyone else. The kind of man that you would follow into battle, the kind of man, if there is a giant wanting to fight against you, that would go and say, Well, I'll deal with him. That is, you think, Saul. But it's marked By arrogance.
It's true initially he shows some humility, but later he's marked by arrogance and disobedience. He disobeys the voice of God, and the Lord rejects Saul from being king. And he is going to come to a sad end by taking his own life and being beheaded by the Philistines. You can read it at the end of 1 Samuel. David in contrast was not the people's choice.
But he was God's Choice. No, he's not chosen by God because of his physical features, although the scripture says he was a handsome man, but because God saw his heart. Again, chapter 16, verse 1: For I have provided for myself, says God, a king among his sons. Because God had been watching David as he grew up in Bethlehem. Do you believe that God watches you?
Does she go to work tomorrow morning? Her mother at home. Doing mm-hmm. the routine things of life and you think this is this is not very important. It's not wonderful to know that God is watching us And God is assessing us.
And God knows her heart. David, yes, was the youngest of the family. He probably was the smallest.
Some translations, at least in the the ESV, when it talks about David being the youngest. In verse 11, in my footnote, it has our smallest.
Now I come from a family of six.
Sons. And let me tell you, Size is important when you've got brothers.
So, of the six sons, I have three brothers that are taller than me, and did they like to tell me? In God's grace, I wasn't the smallest. I felt I was right there, six feet, perfect size. That was me. But I had brothers who were 6'2 ⁇ , 6'3, and fortunately for me, one who is 5 feet 10 and a half.
Don't forget the half inch.
So Eliab comes. And he's very impressive, I'm sure, very tall. And that's why God has to say to Samuel, no, no, no. Don't look on his height. That's not the criteria.
Is it? He was God's Choice. 1 Samuel 16, verse 18. Look at the qualities that mentions in David.
Now, this is before David kills Goliath. Lord willing, we'll think of that next week. Verse 18.
So He's got this evil spirit from the Lord. He wants someone to. Play The lyre, the harp, whatever it was. Verse 18.
One of the young men answered, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehem. who is skillful in playing. He's a musician. He can play the guitar. We like people like that, don't we?
A man of valor. A man of war. prudent in speech and a man of good presence and the Lord is with him. This is before he fights Bliath. Don't think of David as just some kind of novice.
when he goes to tackle Glythe. He, as he tells the children of Israel, as he tells Goliath, no, he had that experience of God. He knew God, he loved God, he trusted God. And his people observed him as this man did and said, you know. Let's get someone to cheer up so.
Someone, yes, who's skilled musically, ah, but I know this one, and the Lord is with him. You know people like that? The Lord is with them, a man after God's own heart.
So, first, He was God's choice. Secondly, he had what I am going to describe as courageous humility.
Now you may think of courage and humility as opposites. People who are brave and courageous can sometimes be arrogant, can't they? The upfront leader. But David was a leader. Yes, he offers.
to fight Goliath and you could say that's arrogant no. It was courageous. humility. He's a strong man of courage. Not a spiritual wimp where timidity is mistaken for humility.
Isn't that sometimes true? Timidity. is mistaken for humility. The person who doesn't speak, someone says, Well, they're humble. No, they're not, they just don't know what to say sometimes.
David. was humble But he was. Courageous. We see his courage. for God throughout his life, not only in fighting Goliath, But in standing against the enemies of God.
And his deep trust in God produced Chimelady. Doesn't that make sense? The individual who has a strong trust in God. Is a humble person. Because he knows.
That his success It's not because of who he is, but because of what God is doing in and through him. or her. When Samuel comes to Bethlehem to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the future king of Israel, as I've said, David isn't there. He's the youngest, possibly the smallest of eight sons of Jesse. He's keeping For the shape.
It's a humble task, isn't it? It's tough to be arrogant when you're a shepherd spending time alone on the hills, leading as the Israeli shepherds do to this day, leading their flock, not driving the sheep. As some shepherds do, but leading the flock, watching over the flock. And now he's brought into the presence of Samuel. And the Lord says, now this is a man.
The man who's keeping sheep, probably smelling like. Sheep. He has the humble heart of a shepherd. And I find it very interesting that even after David is anointed, Anointed The Hebrew word messiah. He is anointed.
As king by Samuel. And even after he provides music for King Saul, He is still looking after his father's sheep. 1 Samuel 16, verse 19. Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep, even after he's anointed. And even after he plays In the court of the king of Israel, this shepherd boy from Bethlehem, a little insignificant town.
that he still goes back And looks after Sheep. I think many men would have told their father would have said to their brothers, You look after the sheep. The great prophet Samuel came. And he didn't choose you, or you, or you, or you, or you, he chose me. I'm going to be the king of Israel.
Don't expect me to look after the sheep. I've got more important things to do. I'm in the court of Saul. I'm playing music to him. Let someone else look after the shape, but not David.
He's a man after God's own heart. And he humbly waits on the Lord. That can be difficult to do, isn't it? You're not quite sure what's going to happen and you're in this holding pattern. David is anointed king.
He doesn't know when he's actually going to become king. And he humbly Wait. Though after he kills Gwyz, Saul tells him to stay at the king's court. Humility is essential, isn't it? If we're to be men and women after God's own heart.
Look at 1 Samuel 18, verse 18. This is after David kills Goliath. And David. And uh Saul says, you know, he'd promised. You'll get one of my daughters, whoever kills the Goliath, and so on.
And then he offers him Marab, that doesn't work out, and then Michael, that doesn't really work out either. But When David is offered the king's daughter, David says to Saul, 1 Samuel 18, verse 18, Who am I? And who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king? Neither am I. Why would you offer me your daughter?
I'm from a very, very humble family. In Bethlehem, I'm Jesse's son. Such Humility. Jesus said of John the Baptist that of those born of woman there is not arisen a greater than John the Baptist. What does John say of Jesus?
He must. What? Increase and I must. decrease. He must become more important and I must become less important.
You want to be important. You want a position of importance. You want people to think you're an important person. That's not humility. Is it?
Peter says 1 Peter 5, clothe yourself, all of you, with humility towards one another, for God opposes the proud, but God gives grace. To the humble. Pride is at the center of our sin, isn't it? God hates. Pride.
So courageous humility, God's choice, third, courage. Consistent Integrity. David was a man of integrity.
Now I know he wasn't perfect. But His integrity. characterized. his life. What's integrity?
Integrity is what we are when no one is looking. Integrity is no matter of your gifts, not a matter of your training, not a matter of your education, not a matter of your Talents. It's a matter of Character, isn't it? It's a heart issue. And yes, they would go wrong sometimes.
As we'll see, he's not a perfect man, ah, but he's. His heart is right. He has integrity. That integrity came from the knowledge of God and his love for God. And David's life was shaped and molded, I believe, in the fields around Bethlehem while he was watching his father's sheep.
And his character was molded and refined during these times as the outlaw, when he's living in caves, a dullum's cave, and he's attracting these people who become his mighty men, and he's hounded by Saul, and all of these experiences. His character. is being shaped. We particularly see David's integrity, don't we? When he's pursued by Saul, and has an opportunity to kill Saul.
What would you do? when you've got someone who wants to kill you. And you've got it in your grasp. In fact, one of your mighty men are saying, David, leave it to me. I'll put my spear right through him.
I'll only do it once. I can get him with one jab of my spear and I can pin him to the ground. And David says, No, no, I don't want you to do that. He's the Lord's. Anointed.
We can't put our hand against the Lord's Anointed. Integrity. David also, and this amazes me. David also doesn't appear to be a man. in a hurry.
He is anointed king. But it's going to take years before finally he becomes king. Not like some of his own sons like Absalom and Abijah. Who wanted to be king. Remember, if you know the story of David?
They try to get rid of David and they conspire against David. They can't wait till their father dies. Or like Esau. who couldn't wait for the The inheritance for the blessing. That's the flesh, isn't it?
The flesh is always in a hurry. David is a man. of integrity. What about your character? And mine.
The Lord sees not as a man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. How is your heart? Listen to Asaph as he writes in Psalm 78 about David. Psalm seventy eight.
Verses 70 and 72, the last two verses of Psalm 78. He says, He chose, as the Lord chose David, his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds. From following the nursing ewes, he brought him to shepherd Jacob, his people, Israel's his inheritance, with upright. Heart. He shepherded them.
and guided them with his skilful hand. That's a great combination, isn't it? To have a heart for God and also to have skill of hands. That's David. God takes him from the ship falls and makes them.
to be the shepherd. King, and he does it with great integrity. and skill. Finally, in contrast to Saul, David is characterized by instant obedience. King Saul is disobedient.
He shows his arrogance, his immaturity, his impatience. Remember, he can't wait. He doesn't kill the Amalekites. He keeps the king Agag. He doesn't slaughter the flocks as he should have done, and then tries to blame the people.
and disobeys the commandment of the Lord. David is not like that. Did you notice? When I read Acts 13, verse 22, Paul's commentary on David is that he's a man after my heart, says God, who will do all my work.
Well.
So God slacks David. A shepherd boy. To put um As Israel's Greatest king, so that the Lord, our Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, comes from the genealogy of David. He is the son of David, he is David's greater son. And this can be said of David: that he's there to do all my work.
Well, that's key, isn't it? What's God looking for you? And for me Instant? and total obedience to do all his will. We're good at selective obedience, aren't we?
doing things that we like to do, that we prefer to do. That's not what God wants. To be a person after God's own heart. is to be totally Surrendered. to God.
says Paul. What will you have me? To do. Lord. What's your will in this?
I said a few weeks ago when I was preaching, we all love. The title Jesus, the name Jesus, it means Savior. What a wonderful name of Jesus. But it seems to me less and less that we refer to him As the Lord. Jesus.
Or Jesus Christ, our Lord. Lord. He is the Lord Jesus. Yes, he's my Savior. Yes, through Him I am justified, I'm cleansed, I'm bound for heaven.
But He is my Lord, isn't He? What about that? Have you bowed to the Lordship of Christ in your life? There's going to be. If you're going to be a person after God's own heart, there must be total and instant obedience.
Here is God's choice. Humility? Integrity. Obedience. Be like David.
Have courage. to do what God calls you to do. Because your trust is in God. Have integrity, have a heart of integrity. Develop skills in the areas where God has gifted you.
Be humble, be patient, love God, be faithful. and be ready to respond with instant obedience when God calls you. And you and I will be people after God's own heart. Uh This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and the final half of a message titled A Man After God's Own Heart. But don't go anywhere just yet because John will be right back with his closing comments.
And as a special bonus for this study on the life of David, we'd like to offer you a free copy of the helpful listening guide John has put together for this series. Designed to walk you through each of these lessons in the coming weeks, this printable guide will equip you with keynotes, questions, and specific prompts to help you apply the biblical teachings from the life of David to your own life.
So, take advantage of this free resource today by downloading a copy of the Life of David Listening Guide when you visit theverdict.org. And while you're there, be sure to also sign up for John's monthly email newsletter. As we continue this gospel mission to reach new listeners worldwide, consider joining our efforts to bring the truth of God's Word into new communities across the globe. You can help by making a financial gift of any amount. We've made it quick and easy to give through our website.
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Now, Here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? David is a man after God's own heart. What about your heart? Do you have courage? Is there any evidence of humility in your life?
Would people say that you're a person of integrity? I know you're not perfect, and neither was David. But God is faithful and gracious. He provides a way of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and then enables us through His Spirit to live godly lives. Join me next time as we see David in action in one of the most famous times of his life.
Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
