Our world is desperately in need of role models worth following. Authentic heroes. People of integrity, whose lives inspire us to do better, climb higher, and stand taller. The Bible is filled with such heroes–people “of whom the world was not worthy, “as Hebrews 11:38 puts it, who played out their lives, made their mistakes, accomplished incredible feats, and finally passed into glory. The Russian poet, Boris Pasternak, put it best; “It is not revolutions and upheavals that clear the road to new and better days. But someone’s soul inspired and ablaze.” However, as incredible as these heroes of the faith were, we need to remember that they were ordinary people just like us–struggling, tempted, confused, sometimes falling. Ordinary people, used by God to do extra-ordinary things. This is especially true of King David.
Poet, musician. Courageous warrior, and a national statesman, David distinguished himself as one of God’s greats. In battle, he modelled invincible confidence. In decisions, he judged with wisdom and equity. In loneliness, he wrote with transparent vulnerability and quiet trust. In friendship, he was loyal to the end. Whether a humble shepherd boy or an obscure musician before King Saul, he remained faithful and trustworthy. Even in his promotion to the highest position in the land, David modelled integrity and humility. However, he was anything but perfect. Having earned the public’s trust and respect, he forfeits it all in a brief season of sensual pleasure. Then, as the consequences kick in, we discover another side of David’s makeup–lustfulness as a husband, weakness as a father, and partiality as a leader. It’s all there, written for all to learn, preserved for all to remember.
Why study David? He’s extremely important for several reasons.
#1. He was a man with a tremendous relationship with God; and His songs and poetry inspire us to worship.
#2. He was a wondrously complex man. A musician and warrior. He was capable of both the highest loyalty and the most base sin. In David we see the very best and the very worst in the human species, and getting to know David allows us to get to know ourselves.
#3. His relationship to Jesus. In many ways, David prefigures Christ, and as we study him, we’ll come to both understand and appreciate Jesus in new ways.
#4. Simply put: “He’s in the Bible.” Bible study has enormous life-enhancing value. A journey through David’s life, will take you through a detailed study of 1 and 2 Samuel, portions of the Psalms, 1 and 2 Chronicles, and many other verses from the Old and New Testaments.
A final reason to study David’s life is that it raises many life-changing questions for anyone who, like David, wants to be a person after God’s own heart. Questions like: How can I be forgiven and restored after sin? How can I continue to be faithful to God when nothing seems to be going my way? How can I find God when I feel all alone? Our journey over the next few months, will delve into these and many other crucial questions of life and faith.
Although he was a great man, David was far from perfect. Yet, he lived a life with strengths worth emulating. In a world that’s desperately in need of role models worth following, David, a man after God’s own heart, is deserving of our time and attention.
SERMONS
Sermon: “God’s Heart, God’s Man, God’s Ways”
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, September 11, 2022
Scripture: 1 Kings 2:1-12
Handout: Part1. HO
Sermon: “A Nobody, Nobody Noticed”
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, September 18, 2022
Scripture: 2 Samuel 16:1-13
Handout: Part2. HO