God's Heart, God's Man, God's Ways, Part 3

On inside our fear. We are raising up a mentality school says just needed you will never be a man or woman of God that your philosophy never cannot think the Almighty. Furthermore, people with discernment will know that you haven't got it together. Character is what you are going. Nobody is looking. The elders needed to speak with their aging leaders about appointing a successor's choice would change the course of history today on inside for letter Chuck Swindoll continues his biographical study called David a man of passion and destiny as we resume a message the start of last week Chuck will remind us that even though Samuel picked a successor is God who appoints those who lead, if you missed Friday's program will begin with the help of God has chosen nobodies determined to somebody that's the story of the life of David to quote G Frederick Owen in his book Abraham to the Middle East crisis. There's one sentence that I've lifted the just described the times the people were on a long drift from God. That was the world into which David was born they had heard about the days in which Israel were really was really a great nation they have read books that talked about Eli and those great early days of Samuel and the scene of his career, but less than they knew nothing of it personally know what they knew.

They knew compromise. They knew disobedience.

They knew the profile of aged Samuel so the people were disillusioned. Frankly, and they had three reasons for wanting a king there given to us in verse well, let's see that they have a summit meeting at Rama verse four and they said there are three reasons Samuel. We want a king first verse five, you have grown old. Second, your sons don't walk in your ways. And third, we want to be like all the other nations. Verse five concludes appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations so Sandy was brokenhearted because they didn't say we want to wait on God to provide what we need you find a man will find a man and we will put them in office when it broke his heart that your student of the Old Testament you know that Saul all what a willful man, tall dark handsome all the externals that you would expect, indicating that some people choose kings. But you know that even though he was 30 years old when he started chapter 13 verse one tells us that man before long became thin-skinned, hot tempered, angry, and even was given to seasons of depression and murder, and he died a suicide. That's the People's choice away somewhere between the anointing of Saul and the suicide of Saul. David came in. Talk about being born into volatile times people run a long drift from God. They became disillusioned with their choice but what you do when your king doesn't walk with God.

They they knew that Saul spent a lot of time in this tent, it was dark and he said strange things that he and he spoke with a strange tone and he walked in the flesh. Finally, chapter 13 tells us God said you're not qualified any longer.

Samuel said to Saul you have acted foolishly, you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you.

For now, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. Next verse, but now your kingdom shall not endure. Here's the first prediction of David right here. Verse 14 the Lord has sought out for himself, a man just a human being. He is on a search for men and women like you and me. People of flesh, but he has three qualities in mind he's looking for you ready for number one. Spirituality a man after his own heart. There's the first quality. What does it mean to be a person after God's own heart. It means that you are a person whose life is in harmony with the Lord. The first quality David had his spirituality.

I go to chapter 16 of first Samuel verse one. I'm sure the second quality now the Lord said to Samuel, how long would you grieve over Saul since I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and go.

I will send you to Jesse, the Bethlehem light for notice. I have selected a king for myself among his sons, God had come to the home of Jesse in spirit for Jesse did know he was there and God had given surveillance over the hall and had spotted his sons and said, that's my man.

What was it that he saw in David.

He saw a heart that was completely God's and second he saw humility. I noticed the third quality is integrity. He shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart. I checked the Hebrew word which means integrity and listen to the synonyms complete whole innocent, having simplicity of life, wholesome sound on impaired this what you are. When nobody is looking.

Integrity is honesty right down to the to the nubbin's not a tinge of guile or deception.

That's David know we have a long ways to go when it comes to choosing leaders. I think these are qualities we ought to look for faculties of schools and staff of churches and counselors of camps and seminarians who say we want to be spokesman for God. First thing we look at is a transcript, I realize that you you can't educated them done. I realize that that's a problem when you put them in graduate work understand. But surely there there ought to be something said for character reference.

I mean genuine spirituality.

A servant's heart and honesty when it's dark and nobody else is there, the way you do your homework. Why mention homework Swindoll. Anybody can show up for class. Well, almost anybody summit scene just can't get to class, but you do your homework.

How faithful are you when nobody is looking to see the delight of preaching is simply the cream on the pie, the work goes into the preparation, the hours and hours and hours that are spent. Nobody knows about investing yourself in time with God time in the books, time and literature. Nobody else goes home and you stay in by the stuff you want to have something to say you want to get your act together. I fear we are raising up a mentality in many a school that says just have it on the surface. Have a good impression and that's all that's needed. You will never be a man or woman of God.

If that your philosophy never. You cannot fake the Almighty. Furthermore, people will discernment with discernment will know that you haven't got it together. David had that integrity, character is what you are willing. Nobody is looking. Well, if I could just borrow from these three verses were looking at to wrap things up. The whole idea of how God trained David, I could pick for words to do it here. They are number one God trained him in solitude.

When you keep sheep when you live in the field, then it is solitude that nurtures you. I have a great concern that too little time is spent by leaders in the making, solitude. If you have to always have noise there something wrong. If you can't stand to be with yourself. There are some unsettled and there are some unsolved conflicts if the Merarites nature was David's nurse. His companion is teacher. The more lands around Bethlehem forming the greater part of the plateau did not, however, present features of soft beauty. They were wild, gaunt, strong character building. It was there that David first imbibed that knowledge of natural scenery and pastoral pursuits which colored all his life and poetry as the contents of the vat color. The dyers hand. The last time you got all alone with nature and just kind of soaked it in and gives you depth no one around, so that even this the sound of silence is deafening.

Disconnect comes in on this.

What David Lee and that's where he learned a king when he put those woollies in that little spot that night. And you know settle them down and he got under the stars and there was no one there, not even a jet bothering and he heard the blistering winds of the winter and he felt the sting of the sand in the spring and summer of the years, and his skin was bronzed under the sun.

Solitude is our God trained him number two is obscurity. Obscurity that's being faithful in the little things unknown, unseen, unappreciated, and on applauded. That's for God trains his best personnel in obscurity hidden away in some study Carol tonight is a man of God in the making, pouring over that thesis pouring over studies that woman of God. Dealing with those little kiddos in the constancy of diaper changing end table manners and putting to bed, matching pajamas and putting socks up doesn't sound very exciting, doesn't. I've always said things change the more kids you have by the time you have for unity would care if the pajamas match just anything you know and the exacting demands of the home.

That's where character is built for the bills come due, know what they want to break away and say live your own life that's being free. Sounds exciting. This exacting demands of obscurity characters Bill in the teaching lessons that you prepare and nobody knows you're doing it. Don't you believe it, the class knows teachers here tonight businessmen here tonight your man that you are serving as a leader.

They know if you got your homework together or not.

You can't fake him over the long haul diligence, staying at it and here's the third but monotony, but it's getting worse.

Isn't it solitude that some little adventuresome and then obscurity will now monotony that's being faithful in the menial, insignificant routine, regular, unexciting, uneventful daily tasks on how to make it any less attractive than that I got a friend who's a commercial pilot and he said it's like flying. He says, flying his hours and hours of tired monotony punctuated with a few seconds of sheer panic. That's life for you. Maybe without the panic just just constant constant endless hours of tired monotony as you pour over those graphs and those charts and those plans or whatever might be your job.

That's where you learn to be a man or woman of God when you're up Friday. That's the fun part is when nobody else is around. That's when you learn to king it is the fourth one is my favorite reality. You see, up until now it sounds like that the answer is to be a hippie sort of an irresponsible mystic who sits on a hill and pops birdseed and whistles and whistles. Those neat little choruses is you just sort of.

So to meet with God.

Sort of an irresponsible kind of Christian individual that's not character building. You might get the feeling that David boy sort of danced around you and a great time training though sheep to sit on her hind legs and all that. That's not true. I want to show you something first Samuel 17. I can hardly wait to get to David and Goliath is one of my favorite chapters. But this exit is too good to be true. There is David standing by Saul in first Samuel 17 members all big tall guy scared to death knees knocking inside the tent and here's little David saying let's go with the giant sauces who are you, David says, I'm David.

This is where you been, is a bit of my spot or see. He said put on my armor couldn't take the armor at David's documents. I like this sauces what you look at verse 33, you're not able to go against this for listing to fight with them your body. You always been a warrior from his youth. Use a little kid. David said to Saul, no tears reality when nobody is looking. Your servant was tending his father sheep. Yeah solitude obscurity monotony when a lien or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock. That's reality, there will David's is there magnificent observation there, down the heat on one of those sleep and he says look at it. Verse 35 I went out after him and Suzanne David get that, current said he's learned before God and some $6 million Shepherd standing there and he tracks the guys this day they dummy. He's a man of he's a man that's responsible. Nobody is looking so matter-of-fact it says I love this is our attack to and I rescued it from his mouth.

That means he's close enough to be inside that creature and he says I and when he rose up against me this bear came up against him. He said season by his beard and struck him in gilding greats God. However, you strike into this bear Davis is so so and this high pockets out there named Goliath.

I'm worried about July that he was not in right between the running lights and big thing he's been doing well but is looking for an idea about this business of getting alone with God is unrealistic doesn't mean you get alone with God. Think about infinity means you got alone and discover how to be more responsible in areas of your assignments in life mainly diligence following through fighting bears attacking go along with this ridiculous, deeper life or you stand back. God does everything I never did have God fix a flat for me to be honest, David rolled up his sleeves and he fought for those sheep he learned to king. It is that important you see any value in the lessons are doing.

That's all part that's what God puts iron in your bones the way you fill out those reports. The way you take care of those assignments.

The way you complete the tasks of home or dormitory our work or school is just a reflection whether you're learning to king. It is a test of my calling is not so much how I do on Sunday. It's how I do Monday through Saturday is nobody to check up on me or how some dear mom stays up half the night to keep that fever down is learning to king. It will intensely courageous man who, from the outside didn't look like anything worth whistling couple of final lessons on the latest Sonia. It's in the little things we prove ourselves capable for big things from saying anything I'm saying that it's in the little things we prove ourselves capable for the big things you set your eyes on the big things. If you go to be a person with big vision and plan on doing little things well. Second, when God develops inner qualities he's never in a hurry.

Alan Redpath is the one who said the conversion of the soul is the miracle of the moment, but the making of a saint is the task of a lifetime when God develops character he's never in a hurry. Thank you for listening so it's pretty thanks Lord for your sufficient grace thank you for the schoolroom of solitude and obscurity for the schoolmasters of silence and constant demands for the tyranny of long hours for the rewards of hard labor work for the periods of our lives that are on the plotted and the qualities that are unseen by any human. I because it is there.

We learn to king it encourages tonight. Father encourages with your goodness you're all seeing eye still looking for people whose hearts are completely turn our hearts to you.

Our father fresh new way for Jesus sake were off to a very good start in this biographical teaching series you're listening to Insight for living in the very first message in a comprehensive study of David's life to learn more about this ministry. Be sure to visit us online@insideworld.org. Chuck is calling this series, a man of passion and destiny, and in time will see this one time Shepherd graduate from obscurity to the highest position in the land. David's escalation to king of Israel surprised many by his humble servant style leadership proved to win over even his fiercest adversaries will Chuck is written many biographies on men like David and one of them is the great leader Nehemiah Chuck is designed this particular book is recommended reading right now as a complement to our study on David.

His book is called handed me another brick it's about a humble servant who rose to Gov. of his land and no matter your role. Chuck's book offers a deeply spiritual approach to leadership to purchase a copy of hand me another brick give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or it may be quicker to place your order online@insight.org/offer were grateful to those who give above and beyond the price of resources because it's your partnership that allows us to inspire healthy churches beyond our own borders. For example, even during immense persecution of Christians in Eastern Europe are pulling together and drawing strength from one another. We know that's true because the Bible teaching you enjoy on Insight for living is translated in numerous languages including Polish and Romanian, and these ministries are made possible when you give it's all under the umbrella of vision 195.

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