Exceeding Magnifical

Introduction

1. This past Sunday we studied Paul’s exceptional ambition to serve God and the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:8-14).
2. Paul doubtless gave up all things to pursue loving and serving Christ, and we are to follow him (Phil 3:15-17).
3. The Blessed and Only Potentate deserves far more than mediocrity. Forget your jobs! Measure your religion!
4. We look around and see backsliding, compromise, downgrade, and failures by Christians in every direction.
5. Look around even in this church: I exhort you to covet to be the very best like David (I Cor 12:31; II Kgs 2:9).
6. David is one of the greatest characters, if not the greatest character, in the Bible. You should aspire to be him.
7. But what will you do with your life? Are you a loser? Nothing more than dandelion fertilizer? You can be great!
8. Do not excuse yourself because of disadvantage. David was the last and least of 8 sons! But the Lord liked him!
9. No one loved the Lord like David. If he has a peer by this measure, that person would have written the psalms!
10. We cannot be content with the expectations or examples of those around us. We should exceed them by a mile!
11. As we enter a new year, it is our duty to examine ourselves and set before us the highest standards possible.
12. We are not considering the private worship of David in these passages, but rather his public worship of God.
13. This very simple sermon will consider some of the greatest events in the history of the world. Believe! Rejoice!
14. When we prepare and enter in the public worship of God, we should come with the heart and zeal of David.
15. We want to consider three temples of God today, the last of which is the greatest on earth, and we its builders!

II Samuel 7 (or I Chronicles 17)

1. When David had defeated all His enemies and rested in his house, he was not content (7:1)!
   1. He led a great celebration to put the ark in Jerusalem, but he was not content (6:12-19)!
   2. It was here that he penned a glorious psalm, though not inserted here (II Sam 22; Ps 18).
2. He did not think it fair that he should be in a house of cedar but the Lord in a tent (7:2-3)!
3. Compare this attitude of David to that of Nebuchadnezzar in a similar situation (Dan 4:30).
4. The LORD could hardly believe David’s exceptional love and desire to do this thing (7:4-7)!
5. God told David of all He had done for him, and He promised to build him a house (7:8-11)!
6. The house, introduced above, was the promise of a perpetual throne and kingdom (7:12-17)!
7. David worshipfully acknowledged God’s great grace and exposes his heart to Him (7:18-21)!
8. He also praised the Lord for His incredible greatness toward the house of Israel (7:22-24)!
9. Then David begged, rejoiced, and praised God for the promise he greatly desired (7:25-29)!

I Chronicles 21

1. David would never worship God for free, so twice he demands to pay full price (21:22-24).
2. He recognizes by inspiration and God’s blessing the new location for worship (21:25-30).

I Chronicles 22

1. God chose the temple site to be where the angel stopped killing (21:14-30; 22:1; II Chr 3:1).
2. David could not build it, but he greatly provided for it to be “exceeding magnifical,” with fame far and wide, and deserving abundant preparation (22:2-5).
3. He explained to Solomon that God had chosen him to build it instead of his father (22:6-13).
4. He described his trouble to provide what would make the great house possible (22:14-16).
5. Finally, he exhorted Israel’s princes to help his son Solomon build a great house (22:17-19).

I Chronicles 28

1. David explained to the gathering of all the great men the choices of God in his life (28:1-8).
2. David’s description of God’s election of himself out of Israel is precious and very true (28:4)
3. David exhorted the princes of Israel to keep and seek for the commandments of God (28:8).
4. He then charged Solomon with being faithful to build what he had wanted to build, which would require a perfect and a willing mind, which we also ought to emulate (28:9-10).
5. He told Solomon the pattern of the house that God had shown him by inspiration (28:11-21).

I Chronicles 29

1. When the house is for the Lord, not man, then it must be great to be fitting (29:1; Mal 1:14).
2. Therefore David prepared with all his might to make a great palace fit for the Lord (29:2).
3. Because David had set his affection toward God’s house, he used his very own funds (29:3).
4. David used his own example of giving to provoke the giving of others around him (29:4-5).
5. Israel’s princes responded to their leader’s giving with their abundant giving, which led to a very joyful situation in this church as pastor and people rejoiced together in giving (29:6-9).
6. David blessed God for the spirit of giving to the Lord and prayed it to continue (29:10-19).
7. David led worship, and God confirmed this celebration by magnifying Solomon (29:20-22).
8. David died, and rich, but he spent his life worshipping God above all other kings (29:26-30).

I Kings 8 (II Chr 5-7)

1. God blessed Solomon’s gathering of all Israel to dedicate the temple he had built (8:1-11).
2. Solomon addressed the Lord in one of the most glorious second person statements (8:12-13).
3. Solomon blessed the Lord for fulfilling His word by Nathan the prophet to David (8:14-21).
4. Solomon dedicated and sanctified the house for God to hear any prayers toward it (8:22-53).
5. Solomon turned and blessed the people of Israel, exhorting them to perfect hearts (8:54-61).
6. Solomon gave a huge sacrifice and threw a great feast for all Israel lasting 14 days (8:62-66).
7. There are details and perspective that cannot be obtained by reading both inspired accounts.
8. God warned Solomon He would despise and destroy the temple for disobedience (9:1-9).

Haggai 2:1-9

1. God knew anyone who saw Solomon’s temple would be appalled by Zerubbabel’s (2:1-5).
2. God promised glory in Zerubbabel’s temple by the first coming of Jesus Christ (2:6-7).
3. Since God owns all the gold and silver anyway, He does not merely measure by such (2:8).
4. Zerubbabel’s temple, the latter house of two, would have greater glory and peace also (2:9).
5. Progressive revelation and covenants of God move toward the N.T. church (Heb 12:22-29).

I Cor 3:16; II Cor 6:14-18; Eph 2:19-22; I Tim 3:14-15; Heb 3:1-6; I Pet 2:4-7

1. A New Testament local church, like the one at Corinth, is the temple of God (I Cor 3:16-17).
2. If we fully separate from all false religion, God will dwell in His temple (II Cor 6:14 – 7:1).
3. We can see the house of the whole family of God, and we can see local houses (Ep 2:19-22).
4. A local church of Christ is the temple of God and pillar and ground of truth (I Tim 3:14-16).
5. Moses was faithful in his O.T. house, and by faith we are Christ’s N.T. house (Heb 3:1-6).
6. If Christ is precious to you by faith, you are a living stone in His spiritual house (I Pet 2:4-7).
7. The greatest threat is having Jesus remove the candlestick – the Spirit’s presence (Rev 2:1-5).

Conclusion

1. The Lord does not deserve your leftovers, second love, double-mindedness, or lukewarm worship and service!
2. He took the firstborn of families and animals, and He expects firstfruit giving! Second best stinks (Mal 1:14)!
3. Where do you stand in reading, praying, praising, singing, weeping, serving, helping, provoking, and building?
4. What do you give Him daily? How about on Sundays? What about today? He deserves exceeding magnifical!
5. There are things you can and should be doing, if God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son were precious to you.
   1. Prayer: fervently pray for God’s house and temple – your church, minister, members, etc. (Psalm 122:6).
   2. Priority: seldom miss an assembly, because the worship of God should clearly be your highest priority.
   3. Prepare: do not just attend services, but get ready with fervent zeal and desire (Gen 35:1-3; Ex 19:10-15).
   4. Promote: exhort and positively provoke brethren and companions to the great privilege of church worship.
   5. Positive: everything we think, say, and do toward the house of God should be positive in light of Christ.
   6. Participate: do not merely warm the foam rubber, for David could not sit when God could be praised.
   7. Provide: do all you can to financially assist minister and members in God’s house by giving and serving.
   8. Peace: do everything in your power to maintain peace among all members (Psalm 122:6-9; Eph 4:1-6).
   9. Praise: crave congregational worship as acapella singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; prayer; etc.
   10. Protect: earnestly contend for the apostolic faith and tradition of worship without any modern inventions.
   11. Punctual: you would never be late to an important meeting, but rather early, for you esteem Him highly.
   12. Practical: there are many things you can do, much like David speaking about being a mere doorkeeper.

For Further Study:

1. Sermon Outline: The Heart of David
2. Sermon Outline: Last Words of David
3. Sermon Outline: David or Joab
4. Sermon Outline: David’s Mighty Men
5. Sermon Outline: Reviving First Love
6. Sermon Outline: A Pure Heart
7. Sermon Outline: Lip Service
8. Sermon Outline: Where Is Your Tent?