Mighty Men of God What God Seeks

Mighty Men of God

What God Seeks

Both Saul and David were chosen by God

Both started out good

Both men disobeyed God

Both men’s sins were great, even murder

Both Saul and David repented

So you have to ask the questions

Why was Saul rejected by God and David established?

Why was the grace of God on David and not on Saul?

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV

There is grace for the person who in their heart goes after the heart of God

What God Seeks

How do we become mighty?

I think the answer is found in David.

Remember it was David

that inspired the Mighty Men.

The Mighty Men found courage because

they saw David was a Mighty Man.

Point #1

“David was a man after God’s own heart”

1 Samuel 13:13-14 & Acts 13:22

There is grace for the person

who goes after the heart of God.

Both Saul and David

were chosen by God.

Both started out good.

Both men disobeyed God.

Both men’s sins were great, even murder.

Both Saul and David repented.

So you have to ask the questions…

Why was Saul rejected by

God and David established?

 Why was the grace of God

on David and not on Saul?

To find the answer I think we have to

go to the words of God to the prophet Samuel.

At the time Saul was rejected

and God was choosing his replacement.

But the LORD said to Samuel,

"Do not consider his appearance or his height,

for I have rejected him.

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.

Man looks at the outward appearance,

but the LORD looks at the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7 NIV

The scriptures are true by their

fruit we shall know the Christian.

The outward actions reveal what is inside.

But the heart is deceitfully

wicked who can know it.

Only God knows the heart.

It would have been easy for us to see why God

rejected Saul, but not so easy to see why God

did not reject David as well based on his sins.

Yet, God saw the difference of the heart.

True Godly sorry works repentance.

It works a heart change.

All the promises of God are “Yes

and A-men” but they are conditional.

Also forgiveness is conditional.

Receiving the promises and forgiveness are

free gifts from God, but the condition of the

heart determines whether or not they are received.

The sins of Saul and David

brought harsh punishment.

But it was not the punishment
that paid the price for their sin.

Even though the scriptures say

God disciplines those He loves.

It was not the degree of the sin God

judged and the price that had to be paid.

It was the change of heart.

 

So is it possible Saul could have found

forgiveness like David even after being rejected?

I believe it is possible.

God has taken many misguided people and

accepted them because they had a heart after God.

We can see where David’s heart changed.

David wrote Psalms 51 after the prophet

Nathan reveals His sin and the judgment to come.

In verse 10, David confessed his

need and desire for a heart change.

 

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalms 51:10-12 NIV

David realized the need for his heart

to change and to be close to God…

“Do not cast me from your presence.”

There is hope for everyone.

Maybe you feel you could never be Mighty.

What you did is too great,

the punishment is too strong,

the guilt is too much.

There is hope.

Why?   Because of the 3 G’s…

God Gives Grace

Who does He give grace to…”the humble”?

There is nothing more important than

having a heart that goes after the heart of God.

That person will always be accepted by God.

You got to have “Heart” to be MIGHTY.

OH GOD I PRAY!!! …

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me…

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalms 51:10-12 NIV

  

Scripture Reading NIV

1 Samuel 13:13-14

13 "You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

Acts 13:20-23

"After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

23 "From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.

James 4:10

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Proverbs 29:23

A man's pride brings him low,

but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

Proverbs 22:4

4 Humility and the fear of the LORD

bring wealth and honor and life.

1 Peter 5:6-7

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand,

that he may lift you up in due time.

2 Chronicles 7:13-15

 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.