When God Says No, Part 3

What can we possibly learn from disappointment. Learn what God says no. He is a better way and he expects me to support the second thing I learned is that my very best reaction is cooperation. Humility called everybody to build but it just calls today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll recounts the story in second Samuel seven, in which David received disheartening news about building a temple's response is a model for anyone dealing with a broken Chuck titled his message when God says I want to talk about the whole problem of broken dreams the whole area of pursuing something that we felt was the plan of God or the will of God for our lives, only to have stopped and have the father say in so many ways. That's not my plan.

That's a good that's a noble purpose. In fact, that's a great resolve. But it's not my plan for you that's hard to hear. David had that happen member we look at the ark of God is he brought it in the area.

David said it is fitting that the king should live in this lovely cedar dwelling and the ark should be a little tent out there I will build a house for God build a temple, the divine response that very night verse four.

It came about the same night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan saying go and say to my servant David thus says the Lord, are you the one who should build me a house to dwell in the heart answer to get back to the king. Nathan hears it from God. That night he is just said the Lord be with you, David, let's make plans starting tomorrow, only to have that very night in the middle of the night vision given by the Lord saying no way no way now look for a moment at a parallel section and second Chronicles chapter 6, and let's put to bed forever.

The problem of sin. It's not involved. Second Chronicles chapter 6 I love versus 79.

It was in the heart of my father, David, Solomon is speaking. It was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel reading second Chronicles, six, eight, but the Lord said to my father, David, because it was in your heart to build a house for my name. You did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless, you shall not build a house but your son, who shall be born to you, he shall build a house for my name pause here and give a couple of applications that I think is that would be fitting as you go back to second Samuel seven. First of all, when God says no is not necessarily discipline or rejection. It is redirection you pursued is will you have wanted to do his will.

And here you are 30, 40 years later, or maybe not even that long.

Five years later and it hasn't worked out. The thing we have to deal with in our walk with God is to listen carefully from day to day, saying, Lord, is this your arrangement is this your plan. If it is not make me sensitive to it. Maybe your redirecting my life. The second thing I would say is God does not call everybody to build temples. He calls some people to be soldiers.

He calls some people to do the work in the trenches. He does call some people to represent him on foreign soil. He doesn't call everyone you see what David had to hear he had to. Here is not to be you, Dave it's going to be your son. What was David's response to the see verse 18 of second Samuel seven beautiful David, the king went in and set before the Lord, that posture, he just sat down and just like a child. He begins to express grateful questions to the Lord. Look at it. He says who in my old Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me this far and yet this was insignificant in thine eyes of the Lord God, for thou has spoken. Also of the house of thy servant concerning the distant future. Verse 20. Again, what more can David say that the just like a little boy. He sat down before the Lord, and he said dad what is David that you bless my house and you blessed my life and you brought me from leaving a little flock of sheep to give me this magnificent throne whom I dream or no dream. I'm a blessed person is David. Even though I may not see the fulfillment of my goals as I've called so he makes some very insightful declarations I've underscored mine in the Scriptures. Verse 22. There is none like what a statement of praise thou art great old Lord God, there is none like the there's no God besides the verse 25 the word that thou has spoken concerning thy servant and his house confirm it forever.

Verse 26 that thy name may be magnified forever. Verse 28, thy words are truth 29. Bless the house of thy servant, but a grateful man who knows the one who wrote the song could've taken it from the 29th verse bless this house will address the parents for just a moment and forgive the nostalgia, but it's fitting.

We have great high-powered plans and our pace is moving along at such a rapid rate is easy to paw. It's easy to forget to pause and look at our homes just express the simple words Lord bless my family and the name then child by child and declared to the Lord. Those areas of gifts and just clean them before the Lord one by one as an effective parent should do if given this girl. These get Lord develop those gifts and make your name great for your glory, you've given me this son and I see the potential in him direct his steps into your plan. Don't let them stop short, I set him apart and do you say the birth of each one of our kids. I had this overwhelming sense of responsibility. Never forget the feeling. And I remember in each case going home and just falling on my face literally before God saying, who am I to give the kind of direction that the child needs. I set that one apart to you. And when the Lord saw fit to take a couple of them before birth and to take us through those deep valleys. Those losses, I said, Lord, may your name be praised. You know best. What's what's for us but you take what you give us shows us your love.

But bless this house now was David revealed in saying this I mean did he really mean what he said one more passage first Chronicles 22 might you might think it's great theory, but let's see. Did David really support his son and that project that was his whole own dream.

You look first Chronicles 22. David said this is the house of the Lord God. This is the altar of burnt offering for Israel. Think is happening. He's rolled a map out he sees unroll the plans he's been thinking through any sort of walking around saying this is the hacienda.

This is the altar area. Look at verse two. Knowing that he's not going to actually build a house look at his support. David gave orders to gather the foreigners who were in the land of Israel and to set stone cutters to hew out stones. Three.

David prepared great or large quantities of iron to make nails for the doors of the gates verse for timbers of cedar logs beyond number. This I don't answer the tire Indians brought large quantities of cedar timber to David.

Verse five David said, my son Solomon is young and inexperienced. The house that is to be built for the Lord shall be exceedingly magnificent famous and glorious throughout all lands. Therefore, I will make preparation for it. So David made ample preparations before his death, father, Lord, you don't want me to fulfill the dream, but Lord, I'm going to set apart as much as I can to support my son as he fulfills the dream that was on my heart. Put an unselfish response. That's a great dad that will do that I had it on my heart the Lord, you said no to me and you've given to my young strong son the dream and the diplomacy to pull that off and I'll see that the nails are there all see the rocks are there out to the stones are there, I'll see all all that the tapestry that's needed and then I'll back off and I say magnify your name through the efforts of another. Some of you are engaged in teaching. I will apply this to you for a moment. You invest your life over brief span of time in the pupils that are before you. You will probably never see them again.

You certainly will never see them in the same class again for the rest of your life. You have a brief span of time where you take care of the stones that need to be cut the nails of the good be part of the character and you deposit as much as you can for that student to build a life in the new wave goodbye and pass on a pastor in many ways does the same thing. Anyone who was involved in this whole realm of support ministry for people sees that happening and it's easy to lose the significance of what it's all about.

David says Lord is not for me to fulfill. It's for you. You chosen my son, you have a chosen me to turn the reins over to him and I say make it happen.

Make a great and what I learned when God says no. He is a better way and he expects me to support it. The second thing I learned from this is that my very best reaction is cooperation.

Humility.

He doesn't call everybody to build the temple but he does call some there are broken dreams represented in this church.

I do not know specifically, to whom I speak, but I know from the size collocation. There are some that are here that are living with broken dreams sometime in the past you had a great hope high hope for certain direction and it was well it was good but the Lord for some mysterious reason has said no and you moved along in life and now you're up in years and you find yourself slowly becoming shelled in the younger ones are taking charge of moving on. Amazing how life is. James Dobson puts it beautifully.

About the time I face clears up our mind gets fuzzy just about the time we get our act together were too old to pull it all with that amazing and return Solomon in our lives, and it takes a real active humility to say to the Solomons of our lives.

You go make God be with you all do everything I can to support you and sing it that that he gets a comp sometime about the zenith of the career it happens, as in the case of Dr. Richard Sumi, who many of you do not know a.m. a man that to me emulated. What a pastor was all about his days in Richmond, Virginia pastorate for over 12 years at the Emmanuel Baptist Church. He was to me. The sink went on a man of God.

God blessed him. He was chosen to be a part of a number of mission boards and served in that capacity was extremely gifted as a puppeteer has become an author. In his later years and he left the pastorate in Virginia and he moved to the unenviable position as pastor of Wheaton Bible church, the pulpit of that church. He was not there long before he was stricken with the disease that that the scene of his career at the time in which he could he could carry out the greatest blows the greatest clout as it were in a position of authority and the rug was cut out from under him as he discovered he had a rare kidney disease, and we must live on the dialysis machine.

Six hours a day 3 to 4 days a week for the rest of his life, his health left he could no longer take the rigors of the pastorate, he fell victim of a misunderstanding criticism bonbon.

He left a broken man, became a chaplain at Dallas seminary. He said I would like so much truck someday to write an article if they could if I could possibly get it published in Reader's Digest. I think I could get it expressed to the greatest number of people in the will in the world so I like to call it plug-in for life. Here's a man who has lost sight of the dream, though of course his great visions for his life, have now been cut to shreds.

He said you never know what it's like unless you live like I have lived to go to bed at night. Not sure that tomorrow morning will come. I live facing death daily. Every day he walks with a stupid is a jaundiced color. He looks ill when he travels the fluid buildup in his body and and he must rapidly go back again for this cleansing to take place in the dialysis here is a man with a broken dream who was chosen to invest his last days in the lives of young men the Solomons to build the temple he will never see built one by one. God took them from me said the poet all the things I valued most until I was empty-handed every glittering toy was lost and I walked the Earth's highways grieving in my rags and poverty until I heard his voice inviting lift those empty hands to me and I turned my hands toward heaven, and he filled them with the story of his own transcendent riches till they could contain no more, and at last I comprehended with my stupid mind and dull that God could not pour his riches into hands already full Mets were some of you are your head your hands full of your dreams, and full of your visions and you had it all ready to present to him on the altar of sacrifice, all prepared and all through it all pursued, only to see them crumble at your feet and you empty-handed. I want to say to you that God is ready to fill empty hands like you would never know.

In any other way and the other experience. Believe me, men with broken dreams find that their wills can easily become broken as well. And with that, their spirit I suppose what I want to do is to lift up the hands that hang down and say to you that live with these broken dreams he is still alive and well.

God knows what he's doing. That's about Shelley and are in worship of our father.

I never really know where these practical messages are going to wind up and who they're going to touch, but I know that there's no such thing as a mistaken message. We picked up our thoughts from second Samuel, first and second Chronicles and we have the we have discovered how relevant God's truth really is how your eyes are closed in your head is bowed. Listen to these words I ask of God, that he should give success to the high task I sought for him to do. I ask that every hindrance might grow less in that my hours of weakness might be few. I asked that far and lofty heights be scaled and now I humbly thank him that I failed for with the pain and sorrow came to me and hour of tenderness in thought and act and with the failure came a sympathy and insight which success could never have brought father. I had been foolish and unblessed. If you had granted me my blind request, it may be that in this congregation. Some of you have never met Jesus as a personal friend and Savior. You live from one dream broken dream to the next. Wondering why why I say to you tonight.

It may very well be that God has broken broken broken. The dreams you might come to him in faith, giving him your heart. Life it may be that there are children of God here recently gone through the awful experience of realizing you'll never see the dream accomplished. Perhaps God you something that you heard to give you comfort to have you redirect your efforts toward those he's chosen to fulfill the dream through our father this evening as we have met. I have wanted us very much to focus on you and on that mysterious part of your plan that that perhaps until the day of our death defy explanation why you choose some Solomons and others. David will never know why you accomplished some great things through some and some things that seem so insignificant through others.

We cannot explain but you do. Some are called to dig trenches.

Some are called built-in's. That's all part of your plan. Give us a sense of except the humble acceptance we will be very, very, it's possible that today's message has resonated with you in a deeply personal level.

It's as though God appointed today's study just for you. If that's the case, would you take a few minutes to jot a note to Chuck Swindoll and insight for living. We'd love to hear your story. You can call us at 800-772-8888 or you can leave a note@insightworld.org. Either way, I can assure you we read every word of the comments you share Chuck title today's message when God says no. In addition to this program. He's included today's topic in his 24 chapter biography of David as well. And if you're looking for a great book to read over the summer months.

We highly commend this one.

It's called David a man of passion and destiny. You'll find all the details@insight.org/office or call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 some of told us that Chuck's voice sounds a little different in this teaching series on David. That's because it was recorded many years ago. It was during the season. The Chuck was preaching and teaching five times per Sunday three services in the morning and two on Sunday night the David series was delivered during the evening service. I mention this because it's an interesting part of our history and it demonstrates the deep archive of sermons that insight for living has to share with you were stewarding thousands of Chuck's messages some going back to the 1970s and were able to share his teaching on this daily radio because of the generous support of our listening to get in touch today.

Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 online go to insight.org/travelers who want to take a tour to Israel have lots of choices, but if you measure up to the thoughtful journey prepared by insight for living ministries with the proper mix of historical information and biblical context.

We provide ample opportunities to pause and let the wonder in our goal is to create special moments when you deepen your love for the Bible and draw closer to your Lord experience an unforgettable 12 day tour to Israel with Chuck Swindoll and insight for living ministries March 5 through the 16th 2023. To help you grasp the significance of each slight you will be accompanied by handpicked Israeli guides, and we choose the best, along with seminary trained pastors and professors to enhance your spiritual journey, no organization I know of offers this level of exceptional in depth instruction and personal care for holy land travel to learn more, go to inspiration cruises.com. Just imagine walking along sacred site and watching the Bible called the life make your reservation by going to inspiration cruises.com that's inspiration cruises.com insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend Bill Meyer join us. When Chuck Swindoll presents a message called grace in a barren place. Thursday on insight for living in the preceding message when God says no underwriting 1978, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved. Why duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited