Bible Text: 1 Kings 2:1-4 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: David: Abiding in the Lord
Kurt Cobain: I don’t have the passion any more, and so remember, it’s better to burn out than to fade away.
Barry White: Leave me alone, I’m fine.
Whitney Houston: You know, he’s so cool. I really want to see Jesus.
Louis B. Mayer: Nothing matters. Nothing matters.
Winston Churchill: I’m bored with it all.
P. T. Barnum: How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?
Mother Teresa: Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you.
Judas: I have sinned by betraying innocent blood
Stephen the first martyr: Lord lay not this sin to their charge.
The Preacher: …Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty…
Paul to Timothy: …Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching…
Last words of Paul to the Corinthian Church: Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you
David’s last recorded words
1 Chronicles 28:9-10 And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.
1 Kings 2:1-4 As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon: I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man. Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go. If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.
ABIDE in the Lord.
We are taught through the Word of God that obedience to the Word of God; keeping God’s word; walking in God’s ways brings us success
Psalm 19:7-11 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.
We believe the Bible to be the Word of God, the only inerrant, infallible measure of our faith and the practice of our faith, and the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit to be the most valued resources in our lives.
1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
The Word of God puts everything in CORRECT perspective.
Pride
2 Samuel 12:7-9 …Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord…
Sin is amazingly deceptive. SELF-DECEPTION and PRIDE deactivates our ability to detect sin.
Galatians 6:7-9 A man reaps what he sows…
Shame
Psalm 32:1-5 …whose lives are lived in complete honesty…Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt…
The only way we can drop the burden, the hindrances, to God’s blessings is to be totally and completely honesty before God!!
Unforgiveness and silence will drown us!
Rebellion
Psalms 51:2-10 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned…Create in me a clean heart, O God…
To often we seek only to change our behaviors or LEARN how to not sin as an answer to sin.
The REAL answer is to let the Lord create in us a CLEAN HEART
The Word of God has the power to save
2 Timothy 3:15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
The Word of God has the power to guide us
Psalm 119:19 I am but a foreigner here on earth; I need the guidance of your commands. Don’t hide them from me!
The Word of God has the power to change us
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word of God has power to show us how to live
2 Timothy 3:16-17 The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us to do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
1 Kings 2:3-4 …that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.
People who follow biblical principles will prosper
Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
At the end of His perfect life, Jesus’ last words:
Luke 23:34 Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.
Luke 23:43 Jesus said, Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.
Luke 23:46 Jesus said, Father, into Your hands I commit
My spirit…
The Scriptures And The Savior BOTH ARE the Word of God: The Scriptures are the written Word (Exodus 31:18) and the Savior is the Living Word (John 1:14)
Both are eternal: 1 Peter 1:23 and Hebrews 13:8
Both came from heaven: Psalms 119:89 and John 3:13
Both came to bless a lost world: Luke 11:28 and Acts 3:26
Both partook of the human and the divine: 2 Peter 1:20-21 and 1 Timothy 3:16
Both enjoyed angelic support: Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19; Matt 4:11; Luke 22:43
Both are faultless: Proverbs 30:5 and 1 John 3:5
Both are sources of life: Hebrews 4:12 and John 14:6
Both are sources of light: Psalms 119:130 and John 1:4,9
Both are absolute truth: John 17:17 and John 14:6
Both provide food for the soul: Deuteronomy 8:3 and John 6:35
Both provide cleansing: John 15:3 and 1 John 1:9
Both produce fruit: Matthew 13:23 and John 15:5
Both give peace: Psalms 119:165 and John 14:27
Both are like a sword: Ephesians 6:17 and Revelation 19:15
Both are called wonderful: Psalms 119:18 and Isaiah 9:6
Both are called the power of God: Romans 1:16 and 1 Corinthians 1:24
Both successfully complete their assignments: Isaiah 55:10-11; John 17:4; 19:30
Both must be received for salvation: John 8:31-32 and John 1:12
Both have been attacked by sinners: Jeremiah 36:27-28 and John 10:31
Both have been rejected by sinners: Mark 7:9 and Isaiah 53:3
Both will eventually judge all sinners: Romans 2:12; 3:19 and John 5:22