One Man With God Is a Majority: 7 Marks of David's Heart

Sermon outline

God used David because he had a heart after God's own heart, devoted, worshipping, submitted, sacrificial, forgiving, generous and loving, and we must let that same Christ-like character be worked out in us every day.

1. A heart of total devotion to God

   David loved God whether or not he was king, yet he was not a perfect man. As long as you love God and chase after Him, He forgives and restores you. Jesus said the greatest command is to love God with the whole heart, and leaning on Him makes fear and doubt, which are real spirits, vanish. God's power works in us to the extent that we love Him.

   “So His power works in us to the extent that we love Him.”

   • Matthew 22:37-38
   • Hebrews 13:5

2. A heart to worship

   Psalm 33 calls the righteous to praise with joy, and David spent much time in praise, worship and prayer, relying on God's wisdom for the big decisions of a king. When his own men wanted to kill him after their families were taken, he strengthened himself in God. Remember your past victories, and remember we are in a war against spirits whose job is to discourage you and separate you from the Word, so fight the good fight of faith.

   Illustration: Keep a 'victory table' at home with a small note for every victory, to remind you that if God brought you through before, He will do it again. He also suggests worshipping in the car in traffic, where people will simply think you are on the phone.

   “Look at your past victories and say, if God did that for me, surely God will deliver me now.”

   • Psalm 33:1-3
   • John 4:23
   • 1 Samuel 30:1-6
   • 2 Corinthians 4:7
   • Ephesians 6:12
   • 1 Timothy 6:12

3. A heart to be under authority

   Being under authority is not weakness but strength, and God empowers those who submit with favour and open doors. If we submit to God and resist the devil, he flees. He begins his own prayers by acknowledging Jesus as the chief shepherd, and points to Jesus humbly being baptised by John. David refused to touch Saul, God's anointed, knowing he would reap what he sowed. Respect and pray for the leaders of the church, though respect does not mean obedience to the point of harm, and pick your fights wisely.

   Illustration: People who constantly pick fights are often insecure, but those secure in the love of God can let others talk and leave it to God.

   “To be under authority is strength.”

   • Psalm 105:15
   • James 4:7
   • 1 Peter 5:4
   • Ephesians 2:20
   • John 1:29
   • Matthew 3:13-15
   • 1 Samuel 24:6
   • Galatians 6:7

4. A heart of sacrifice

   David poured out the water his men risked their lives to fetch, refusing to take advantage of those he was called to serve. Following Christ costs everything: family and friends may reject you, but one day they will ask why your life has changed. Learn to discern whether God or Satan is speaking, even through a believer, as when Jesus rebuked Peter. Leaders too must be servants, and like Paul we learn both to abound and to be abased.

   Illustration: A paint colour chart: people see only the good part of your life, not the whole spectrum of what you suffered and fought for, so do not look at others with envious eyes. He also mentions a vision in a book by Rick Joyner, and the older generation's memories of bucket baths.

   “One man, one woman with God is a majority.”

   • 1 Chronicles 11:15-19
   • Luke 14:25-33
   • Matthew 16:23
   • Philippians 4:12
   • Psalm 33:20-21

5. A heart to forgive

   God took David from the sheepfolds to shepherd Israel, and the integrity he learned alone in the wilderness became his foundation. When Absalom took his throne and Shimei cursed him and threw stones, David did not retaliate, because his first choice was to please God. Forgive the difficult people around you, and they fall into God's hands; repaying evil with blessing is God's way of blessing you.

   Illustration: Colleagues who snap at you or backstab you: forgiving them is like having 'ballistic missiles' in a war, because God defends you.

   “When you forgive them, then they fall in the hands of God, and God becomes your automatic defense.”

   • Psalm 78:70-72
   • 2 Samuel 15:13-14
   • 2 Samuel 16:5-13
   • 1 Peter 3:8-17

6. A generous heart

   David recognised God's generosity towards him and wanted to bless others in the same way. We have an extravagant God, so we should not be afraid to ask big in the name of Jesus, that our joy may be full. Everything in our hands has been given by God, and we are blessed to be a blessing.

   “We have an extravagant God.”

   • John 16:24

7. A friendly heart

   Love builds, and the work of the Spirit changes us. The love of God in Jonathan's heart put aside fear and striving for position. Love always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres, and it was poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, so year by year we grow in forgiving and loving our enemies. He ends by noting that David was faithful and inquired of the Lord, and that a lack of Christ's character destroys ministry.

   Illustration: His own life before Christ, when he wanted to hoard everything, and how after salvation he began to give: the more he gave, the more he received.

   “Love builds.”

   • 1 Corinthians 13:6-7
   • Romans 5:5