Seeking the King v| A Sermon on Matthew 2:1-6

Introduction
Last Sunday, I challenged you to come to the church once a week during Advent and spend some time praying in the newly renovated prayer room.  Have you been doing it?  This is a great challenge to help us draw closer to Christ during Advent.

There are four Sundays in Advent–the four Sundays just prior to Christmas.  Advent is a season of preparation and anticipation for Christmas.  But Advent is a dual purpose season, because it recognizes that just as Jesus came and was born as an infant in a manger, He will come again as a king in the clouds on the day of judgment.  So, we are preparing for Christmas, but we are also preparing for the second coming of Christ.

Perhaps this adds a little incentive to your preparations this Christmas.  Yes, there are presents to buy, decorations to put out, and all kinds of things to prepare for in this busy holiday season.  However, the most important thing we need to be ready for is when Jesus returns.  And I can assure you, Jesus will come for you in your lifetime.  Either he will come in the clouds to bring His Kingdom to all the earth on the last day, or He will come for you personally when you take your last breath.  Either way, you will meet Him face to face.  Will you be ready?

For Advent this year, the Lord led me to study the story of the Wisemen who came from the east.

Matthew 2:1-6
¹ Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ² “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

³ King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. ⁴ He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

⁶ ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
    are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
    who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

“Where is the newborn king?”
In ancient times, it was common to keep track of the years by relating them to the reigns of different kings.  That’s why Matthew starts out this chapter by saying Jesus was born during the reign of King Herod.  Matthew wrote these words decades after King Herod was dead and gone, but everyone could remember his ruthless reign.

King Herod was known for being ruthless and paranoid, willing to do anything to keep his throne. He even executed members of his own family, including his wife and her two sons, as well as his own son. When Herod felt his authority was challenged, he acted without mercy. He had Israel’s high priest assassinated and ordered the execution of 46 members of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. Herod ruled with an iron fist and made it clear that no one could stand in his way.

It was during King Herod’s ruthless reign that the Wisemen showed up in Jerusalem seeking a new King: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

They were talking about Jesus, who is a special kind of King.  Jesus is the kind of King heralded in the Heavens; a brand-new star was added to the sky as a sign of His birth!  And His coming is so profound, Magi traveled thousands of miles from Persia to worship Him!  Jesus is the kind of King Herod could never be.  No matter how merciless and violent Herod was, no one would voluntarily travel from a thousand miles away to adore him.

Who or what is the “king” in your life right now? Are there things like success, fear, or the need for control that you’re holding onto so tightly that they influence your decisions, just like Herod clung to his throne? This Advent season, God might be challenging you to take a closer look at your life and think about the things you’re allowing to rule your heart. Are they drawing you closer to Him, or are they keeping you from fully trusting His plan?

“King Herod was deeply disturbed…”
Verse 3 says, “King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.” Knowing how paranoid Herod was and how far he would go to hold onto power, imagine how upset he must have been when strangers arrived asking about a “new” king. The people in Jerusalem, who were already used to tiptoeing around Herod’s temper, were likely terrified. They must have been panicking, wondering how this shocking news would shake up their lives and what Herod might do in response.

When Jesus comes into your life, it may shake some things up. It changes your values. It changes the way you think, the way you act, and the way you see the world. Suddenly, the things that once seemed so important—like power, wealth, or popularity—don’t hold the same value anymore. Instead, you begin to align your heart with God’s priorities: love, mercy, humility, and faithfulness. But this transformation isn’t always easy. It can create an inner conflict as your old ways of thinking and living clash with the new life Christ is calling you to.

This change can also cause tension with family and friends and a worldly community around you who don’t share your faith or who still follow the "old rulers" of this world, like selfish ambition or materialism. They may not understand your new priorities or why you no longer chase the same goals. Just as Jesus' arrival disturbed King Herod and the people of Jerusalem, your decision to follow Jesus might disturb the people around you. But don’t let that discourage you. God’s ways are always better, and as you walk with Him, you’ll find peace, purpose, and the strength to endure. Transformation is never easy, but the joy of living in Christ’s light is worth every challenge.

“And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.”

This prophecy from Micah was written about 700 years before Jesus was born. At the time, the powerful leaders in Jerusalem didn’t know or expect the Messiah would come from a small town like Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a humble, unimportant village—certainly not the kind of place where anyone would think a king would be born. But God chose it as the birthplace of the greatest ruler in history, showing us that He doesn’t use worldly standards like wealth, power, or status to measure greatness. Instead, God works through the small, the humble, and the overlooked to do extraordinary things.  Do you ever feel small or humble or overwhelemed?

You might feel small, unimportant, or unworthy, but God has a purpose for your life. Just as He chose Bethlehem to bring forth the Savior, He can use your unique story, your gifts, and even your struggles to accomplish His plans. The ruler born in Bethlehem wasn’t just a king—He was also a shepherd, leading and caring for His people with love. Will you trust Him to lead you and allow Him to work through your life in ways greater than you can imagine?

Closing
As we reflect on the story of the Wise Men and their journey to seek the newborn King, we are reminded that following Jesus often requires us to let go of the things that rule our lives. The Wise Men left the comfort of their homes, traveled great distances, and endured hardships, all to worship the true King. Their journey challenges us to ask: are we willing to set aside our own ambitions, our fears, or our distractions to seek Jesus fully?

Jesus came to offer us something far greater than the world’s fleeting treasures. But this journey often shakes us, transforms us, and challenges our relationships and priorities. Yet, the rewards are eternal—peace, purpose, and an eternal relationship with the King who lovingly shepherds His people. Will you seek Him today and let Him be the ruler of your heart and life?

I invite you to take a moment of silence to reflect on what you need to surrender to Jesus today. Take 60 seconds to ask Him to reveal anything holding you back from fully following Him.  Then, we will close with a responsive reading.

A Prayer of Surrender
Leader: Lord, we come before You, recognizing that You are the true King of our lives.
People: We surrender to You, Lord. Be the ruler of our hearts.

Leader: Forgive us for the times we have held onto fear, control, or selfish ambition.
People: We release these things to You, trusting in Your perfect plan.

Leader: Help us to let go of the things that keep us from fully following You.
People: Teach us to seek You with our whole hearts.

Leader: When the journey is hard and the path is unclear, give us the courage to follow You.
People: Strengthen our faith and lead us in Your ways.

Leader: You are our Shepherd, guiding us with love and care.
People: We trust You to lead us, even when it’s hard to see the way.

Leader: Today, we surrender our lives to You. Shape us into who You’ve called us to be.
People: We are Yours, Lord. Use us for Your glory.

Leader: Let our lives reflect Your light, drawing others to know and worship You.
People: We surrender to You, Lord, our King and Shepherd. Amen.

 

Following the Stars

Introduction
I almost lost my phone this morning.  It was still dark when I left the house.  But I needed to hook up my trailers so I could bring a manger I built for the Christmas display to the church for the Advent season.  I set my phone on the edge of my truck and used the flashlight pointing down on my trailer hitch so I could see to hook everything up.  Then I got in the car and drove away without retrieving my phone!  I was at least two miles down the road before I realized my phone was missing!  So, I turned around and headed back toward home, praying I would find my phone.  Luckily, the flashlight was still turned on and I was able to clearly see my phone lying in the road with the flashlight facing the night sky like a beacon.

God gave that illustration this morning as an example for the Advent season.  Advent and Christmas are full of signs and symbols that point us to Christ like a beacon in the night.  The question is, are we ready to see the symbols and hear God’s voice leading us to Christ in the season?  I hope this message will prepare us to be more in tune to God’s Holy Spirit this Christmas season.

Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-2
¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. 
¹ Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ² “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

From a Star to a Manger
Following God’s guidance can feel like connecting the dots in a constellation of stars.  I've never been that good at identifying constellation--you know one is supposed to look like a crab and another like a bear.  The only one I really know is the Big Dipper; and that's good because it helps you find the North Star so you always know which way is north.  

For Joseph, the angel’s dream message was as clear as a bright star shining in the night sky.  It told him what God wanted him to do.  But for us, the signs are often harder to see. It takes prayer to help us listen to God’s voice, reading the Bible to understand His plan, and worship to bring the pieces together.  God’s guidance becomes clearer when we spend time with Him and trust that He is leading us closer to His purpose.

The Wise Men are a big part of the Christmas story. They are known for following a star to find Jesus. But how did they know the star was pointing to the Christ King? And what kind of King would they find? Maybe they are called “Wise” because they understood how to follow signs—signs that are not always as obvious as Joseph’s dream.

The Wise Men saw a star rise and knew it meant the birth of a great King.  But the star didn’t lead to a palace—it led to a manger.  Who would expect a King to be born in a feeding trough for animals?  It was not what anyone imagined. What about you?  What are you expecting when you look for help or direction from God?  Are you open to seeing His signs, even if they lead somewhere unexpected?

From a Manger to a Cross
Following God’s plan doesn’t mean life will suddenly become easy or free of challenges.  In fact, following Jesus can sometimes lead us to face new difficulties we didn’t expect—just as the path from the manger ultimately led to the cross.  Jesus came into the world as a humble baby, but His journey was marked by rejection, suffering, and sacrifice. Yet, it was all part of God’s perfect plan to bring salvation to the world.  When we choose to follow God’s plan for our lives, it may bring its own share of struggles, even pain. But we can trust that His plan is always for our good in the long run, even when it’s hard to see in the moment.  The cross was not the end of the story, and neither are the challenges we face.  When we trust and follow Christ, we walk in the assurance that, ultimately, His plan leads us to a far better future.  And sometimes the suffering we must endure, is a refining fire that purifies us and makes us all God wants us to be.

From a Cross to and Empty Tomb
The cross was not the end of Jesus’ story.  The Word tells us that three days after He was crucified, He rose from the grave, leaving the tomb empty.  This is the cornerstone of our faith, the bold claim that changes everything.  While it can be hard to believe, we have the testimony of witnesses—those who saw the risen Christ and whose lives were transformed by the truth.  We may also personally know people who testify that faith in Jesus had changes their life.

Even so, it takes faith to accept.  The resurrection is a mystery and a miracle, but it is also the foundation of our hope.  And the empty tomb is a bright shining star that symbolized the hope we have in Christ.

For those who believe, Jesus promises eternal life. This hope sustains us as we follow His way, even when the path is hard or leads to suffering. The cross reminds us of the cost of discipleship, but the empty tomb assures us of the victory.  Just as Jesus rose to new life, so too will we, if we trust in Him.
This is the hope that gives us strength to endure, courage to persevere, and joy in knowing that the story God is writing for us doesn’t end in death—it ends in life.

Advent Challenge
As we enter this Advent season, I want to invite you to make a commitment—a commitment to spend intentional time seeking God.  Just as the Wise Men followed the star to Jesus, we need to follow the signs God gives us to draw closer to Him. It can be hard to see those signs in the busyness and distractions of life, but prayer helps us tune our hearts to His voice.

That’s why I’m challenging every one of you to stop by the church at least once a week during Advent—between now and Christmas—and spend some time in prayer in our newly renovated Prayer Room.  It’s open to you any day and at any time. (Call the church and we can give you a code that gives you access to the church through the kitchen door.)
Whether it’s early in the morning, during your lunch break, or late at night, I encourage you to come.  Use this time to pray, reflect, and listen for God’s direction in your life—even if just for a few minutes.

Following God’s plan isn’t always easy.  Sometimes, the path feels unclear, and we need to connect the dots. But when we spend time with Him—when we pray, study His Word, and worship—we begin to see His purpose more clearly.  So, come to the Prayer Room.  Bring your questions, your hopes, and even your struggles.  Let this Advent season be a time when you seek Him intentionally,
knowing that God is leading you toward His good and perfect plan.

The New Covenant | A Sermon on John 3:16 & Matthew 26:26-30

A biblical covenant is a sacred promise made between God and His people.  It includes commitments, blessings, and signs, showing God’s plan and how people can be part of it.  We have examines four of the five main covenants in the Bible.  Today, I want to talk about the final covenant between God and people—the culmination of God’s whole rescue plan—the New Covenant made between God and humanity through His Son, Jesus Christ.

John 3:16
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The New Covenant
This is such a powerful verse.  It sums up the Gospel in just a few short, simple words.  “For God so loved the world…”  Even though Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s one and only rule and ate the forbidden fruit, causing death and destruction and the corruption of God’s whole  perfect creation, God didn’t stop loving the world.  Even though you and I disobey God, make stupid decisions, hurt ourselves and others, distort His perfect plan for our world, and disrespect God’s holy name, God doesn’t give up on us.  He has worked for thousands of years to rescue us.

It was not easy.  First, God worked through thousands of years of human history to bring about the ultimate rescue of humanity from our brokenness.  Noah, Abraham, Moses, David…  And then from the royal line of David, a new King came—Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…”
Jesus is God’s “one and only son”.  The Greek word is monogenes.  It is sometimes translated as “only begotten”, but what it means really is "one of a kind”.  Adam was also—in a sense—God’s son.  We are all sons and daughters of God because we came from God.  He is our Father; we are God’s children.  But Jesus is special.  Jesus is “one of a kind.”  Why?

One reason is Jesus shares the same divine essence as the Father.  Jesus was not created, like Adam was created from the dust of the ground.  Jesus is one with the Father—part of the Trinity.  But there’s another more practical way Jesus is “one of a kind”, God’s only begotten Son.  Jesus never sinned.  Jesus did all the things right that we humans did wrong.

The Second Adam
Adam and Eve were tempted to eat the forbidden fruit by Satan in the Garden of Eden.  They chose to trust Satan rather than God, leading to the fall of humanity.  Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness as He fasted for 40 days.  Jesus was faithful to God.  In a sense, Jesus was a do over for Adam and Eve.  He was tempted by Satan and overcame on their behalf (and ours too).

The True Manna
In the Old Testament, the Israelites wandered through the desert for 40 years because they were afraid and didn’t believe God could help them defeat the “giants” who lived in Canaan.  God fed them manna while they wandered in the desert.  In the New Testament, Jesus showed how God can defeat any problem—even sin and death.  Jesus fed the multitudes with on 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.  Jesus is the True Manna from Heaven.  Jesus is the “Bread of Life.”  He said in John 6:51 – “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

The Perfect King
In the Old Testament, the best king they had was David.  He was a man after God’s own heart, and yet he was a sinful man whose greatest sin was to sleep with another man’s wife, Bathsheba. Then David murdered her husband to try and cover up his sin.  Yet, Jesus is the King of kings who never sinned—who came to serve and not be served, who even stooped down to wash His disciples’ dirty feet saying, “The greatest among you must be the servant of all.”  Philippians 2:6-7 says, “being in very nature God, [He] did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.”

The Lamb of God
In the Old Testament, Abraham was spared the pain of sacrificing his only son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah when God provided a ram to take Isaac’s place.  In the New Testament, God’s only Son, Jesus, was willingly sacrificed on the same mountain as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the earth.

In these and countless other ways, Jesus came as the “do over” for humanity.  He righted all our wrongs and showed He is indeed the unique,  sinless, only begotten Son of the Living God.  And God made a new covenant with all people through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The New Covenant
The New Covenant was foretold in the Old Testament by the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 31, verses 31-33, when he said, “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.  This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.

³³ “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

The prophet Ezekiel also spoke of the new covenant in chapter 36, when he said in verses 26-27, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.  And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The glorious blessing that comes through the New Covenant with Jesus is eternal life.  It is the reason we can shout hallelujah in the face of suffering and sickness and even death!  Because, we believe that this life is not all there is.  There is more.  Paul said in Romans 8:18, “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”

We who believe in Jesus Christ rise to eternal life just like Christ did, and we will live forever with God in the New heaven and Earth—a restored Garden of Eden, a New Jerusalem, where there will be no more sickness, or suffering, or sin, or death.  So we can face the troubles of this life, unafraid, because we have a hope for a new and perfect eternal life.  The closer we walk with Christ, the more real that new life we hope for becomes, until we are hardly concerned at all about the sufferings we face in this world.  For we know, it will all soon melt away, replace by eternal glory.

“…that whoever believes in him…”
The key word here is “whoever believes in him.”  Faith is the key.  But what is faith?  What does it mean to believe?  I have to tell you:  it is more than just agreeing in your mind that Jesus exists or that His words are true.  Believing in Jesus means trusting Him wholeheartedly as Lord and Savior.  It means knowing that His life, death, and resurrection give us eternal life.  This kind of faith changes how we live.  It inspires us follow His teachings, love others the way He loves us, and show His kindness and truth in all we do.  It motivates us to pray fervently to be made holy, to become more and more like Jesus in everything we do.  Jesus was the perfect Son of God.  To believe in Jesus is to give our lives to Him and let Him heal us and make us new so we glorify God the way Jesus glorifies God.

So, you’ve got to do more than simply agree, saying “Yes I believe.”  You’ve got live in agreement.  You’ve got to let God give you a new heart and a right spirit, where you care about the world and it’s people like God cares about them, and where you want to follow God’s decrees and be careful to obey His regulations.

The Sign of the New Covenant
When we make a covenant with people, we always give a sign.  When a husband and wife enter the covenant of marriage, they give each other rings.
Rings are the sign of the marriage covenant.
God has also given us a sign of the New Covenant, sealed by Jesus’ blood.  We find the sign of the New Covenant in Matthew 26:26-28.

Matthew 26:26-28
²⁶ As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

²⁷ And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, ²⁸ for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.

As we reflect on the New Covenant, sealed by the sacrifice of Jesus, we are reminded of the sign He gave us to remember His love and commitment—Holy Communion.  This meal is not just a ritual; it’s a sacred act of faith.  Today, if you are ready to actively be part of God’s New Covenant—trusting in Jesus as your Savior, surrendering to Him as your Lord, and committing to live as His redeemed follower—I invite you to come to the Lord’s Table.  Let us approach with gratitude, with faith, and with willingness to let His grace transform our lives.

Holy Communion…

The Davidic Covenant | A Sermon on 2 Samuel 7:1-17

Introduction
One of the things I love about Dalton is being able to look east and see Fort Mountain pointing toward the sky.  You can clearly see it even though it’s 20 miles away.  Driving there takes about 30 minutes because there’s a lot of twists and turns on the way.  Though you can clearly see the mountain peak, there’s a lot you can’t see between us and the mountain.

That’s the way God’s story in the Bible is too.  There are mountain peak moments that are easy to see, but then there’s a lot of twists and turns in between.  The five covenants of God we’ve been studying highlight the mountain peaks of Scripture.

I challenge you to memorize these five covenants.  In the beginning of the story, Adam and Eve disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit, which caused them to fall out of relationship with God.  And the fall inflicted deep and deadly spiritual wounds upon them and all creation, corrupting the nature of everything that God started as perfect.  But God didn't give up on us.  Over the course of thousands of years, God set about rescuing humanity and creation from sin.  The five covenants are the main steps of that process.  Starting with Noah, God sent a flood to wash away the world and start over.  Then, God called Abraham to leave his homeland and go to the promised land where God would multiply his discendents into a great nation and make Abraham a blessing to all the world.  Then, in the Mosaic covenant, God gave His rules for living to a chosen people to the Israeltes so they would serve as God's representatives so the whole world would know Him.  Today, we will learn about the Davidic Covenant. and next week we will study the New Covenant through Jesus Christ.

2 Samuel 7:1-2
¹ When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, ² the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”

What is David talking about here?  You may remember that when God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt they became nomads wandering in the dessert, God chose to live in a tent too.  He instructed the Israelites to build Him a sacred tent called the Tabernacle where they could meet God and worship Him.  But by David's time, the people lived in cities with houses.  But God still lived in a tent.  So David thought, "That's not right.  God needs a house."

But something else may have been going on too.  David was worried about his legacy.  And when he looked around at the kings of the surrounding territories--Egypt and Mesopotamia--these royal families built great monuments and temples.  David was trying to secure his legacy by doing the same thing.  S David says, "I will build my God a temple too."

2 Samuel 7:3-17
³ Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,

⁵ “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? ⁶ I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. ⁷ Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

⁸ “Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! ¹⁰ And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, ¹¹ starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! ¹² For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. ¹⁴ I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. ¹⁵ But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. ¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

¹⁷ So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

What’s Really Going On?
Just on the surface of things, this is already a fascinating Word from the Lord.  David wants to build God a house.  That’s no small thing!  How do you build a “house” for the infinite, almighty God of the universe.  Issaiah 66:1 says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.  Where is the house you will build for me?”  God doesn’t need a house.  But we often want a house where we can put Him and keep Him and meet with Him (and maybe then walk away and keep somethings separate from Him for a little while).

God Humbles David
On the surface, God humbles David.  God reminds David of his humble beginnings as a shepherd. God took David from the fields and appointed him as the leader of His people.  David’s royal position is not of his own making but a result of God’s divine choice and guidance. Every one of David’s victories is a testament to God’s power.  God grounds David in humility, teaching him to rely on God rather than his own abilities or ambitions, and reinforcing that God is the true architect of Israel’s future.  (Don’t we all need to be reminded to be humble from time to time—to remember that our success—or failure—isn’t totally up to us.  Success comes for the faithful from God and God should receive the glory.)

God Establishes David’s Dynasty
But though this rebuke, God also establishes David’s dynasty.  God is gracious and, through some ironic wordplay, God basically says, “You’re not going to build me a house.  No, I’m going to build you a house!”  When David said house, he meant a temple but when God said house he meant would build David’s dynasty.

Verses 11-13 say, “[I] will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! ¹² For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³ He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name.”  And we know that is exactly what happened, just as God said.  David’s heir, Solomon, was the one who would build God’s Temple in Jerusalem.  But’s that’s just what’s happening on the surface.  Something deeper is also happening.

God Promises the Messiah
God is not just talking about David’s literal son Solomon here.  God is also talking about a “son” who will come from David’s royal lineage—the Messiah.  In verse 14, God says, “I will be his father, and he will be my son.”  Who is God’s son?  Jesus!

And in verse 13, God said, “And I will secure his royal throne forever.”  Who rules on the throne forever?  Jesus!

So on the surface, God is telling David that his son, Solomon, will build God’s Temple—which he did.  But on a deeper level, God is telling David (and everyone), another man will come out of David’s royal line whose Kingdom will last forever who will build God’s eternal Temple.  Jesus referred to this in the New Testament when His detractors demanded a sign and He said:  “Tear down this Temple and in three days I will rebuild it.  They thought He mean the physical Temple in Jerusalem and that he was crazy because the Temple took decades to build.  But Jesus was talking about His body.  And remember, that’s what happened:  they tore down Jesus’ body (the True Temple) and in three days, God raised it again. 

Will God Be Faithful?
This is quite a covenant promise!  Now, it is one thing to make a promise.  It is quite another to see it through.  Will God keep His covenant promise?  Let’s look at the history to see.

Things start out well.  David remains on the throne until his death from old age.  His son Solomon ascends to the throne, has a long peaceful and prosperous rule and also died of old age.  (Always a good thing for a king to die of old age and not after a rebellion or a enemy attack).  And, Solomon builds God’s Temple in Jerusalem.  Then, after Solomon, Israel has a civil war, but despite lots of struggles, a descendent of David’s royal line remains on the throne in Jerusalem (the southern Kingdom) for four centuries until the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem & the Temple in 586 BC and they dragged the Jews into exile.

“But, I thought God said David’s royal line would last forever.”  Yes.  That is God’s promise.  According to the Word of God, the Bible, the royal line of David did not end after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem.  Through the miraculous power of God, the line of David’s royal descendants
survived the exile of the Jews in Babylon and continued through the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments right down until Jesus was born. Jesus, the Messiah, was born of the virgin Mary, who was the last descendent of King David.  Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, was also a descendent of David.  And fulfilling God’s covenant promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:14 when God said, “I will be his father, and he will be my son”, Jesus is the Son of God, conceived through the Holy Spirit.

That’s Quite a Story. Is it True?
That’s quite a story.  But is it true? [pause]
Well, that’s what you have to decide.  That is where faith comes in.  Do you believe it or not?

Some do not believe it.  Some think this is all just a myth, too incredible to be true.  Carl Marx said, “Religion is the opium of the people.”  In other words, Christianity is just a drug we use to dull the pain of suffering in an injustice world.  But I say, look at the transformative power of genuine faith in Christ. Rather than being a drug to dull the pain, Christianity addresses the root causes of human suffering—sin, brokenness, and alienation from God—and it offers hope, purpose, and redemption.

Looking back over the last 2,000 years since Christ was born, died on the cross, and rose again, we see the power of faith in His Eternal Kingdom.  It inspired Christians from Polycarp in 2^nd century Smyrna to Dietrich Bonhoeffer in 1945 Nazi Germany to Martin Luther King, Jr in 1968 America to live by faith and stand up against tyranny and injustice and work to bring God’s Kingdom on Earth.  Against all odds, they stood up for truth and justice, grace and redemption, and they won!  Even in death, they won!  And faith in Christ has helped countless others boldly face the struggles like loneliness, the death of loved ones, illnesses like cancer and addiction, all in hopes of Christ’s eternal Kingdom to come.  And people who should be defeated and destroyed are victoriously renewed against all odds.  So yes!  I believe!

But, each person must decide.  Is it true?  Has God been faithful? 
Did He fulfill His covenant with David in Jesus?  Is Christ the Messiah? 
Is Jesus really Lord of all?  Is He really worthy of all the glory we give Him?

I believe it’s true.  It’s changed my life and is changing my life. 
I know I will spend eternity with God in the Kingdom of God forever.
I know I will see my friends and loved ones who died in Christ.
I know all that is wrong in our world will be made right.  We are already working on it.
And I know that those who reject Lord Jesus will spend eternity separated from God,
for only those who accept Him as Lord can enter into the Kingdom of God.

But that’s my faith.  What is yours?
Won’t you put your faith in Jesus today?  I pray you will.