Now you'll recall in our last
lesson, David desired to build the temple of God. And God told
him, David, you're not the man for this job at this time. David,
you're not going to build me a house. I'm going to make you
a house. Your son will build me a house
and I'll establish his kingdom forever. And David understood
what the Lord was telling him. He looked past Solomon, who would
reign after him. and saw a prophecy of our Lord
Jesus Christ. The Lord told David, you're not
going to build me a house. Now, what was David's reaction?
Was David disappointed? Did he pout because the Lord
did not allow him to serve as David desired? No. David's reaction was to worship,
was to worship. and to pray before the Lord and
offer his thanksgiving in a prayer of worship. That's what I've
titled the lesson this morning, a prayer of worship. In this
prayer, David gives us six pillars of true prayer. And the first
one is this, humility before the Lord. Look what he says in
verse 18 of 2 Samuel 7. Then went King David in and sat
before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? And what
is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto?" Now, the writers
tell me that before David said anything, he went and sat before
the Lord for a good while in complete silence. He was just
speechless. He was overwhelmed at God's mercy
and grace to him. He was overwhelmed at the greatness
of God's precious promises to him, and he just sat there in
silent worship. in awe and reverence. And that's where true prayer
really begins. True prayer is before the Lord. True prayer
is not impressive words and phrases that we can use. True prayer
is heart language. Human language really does not
work at all to express our thanksgiving, our worship before the Lord.
many times probably silence is best. And when David finally
does speak, he gives thanks. And he says, who am I? Who am I to receive such exceeding
great and precious promises? Who am I to receive the mercy
and grace from God to a sinner? Who am I? ever sees the contrast between
who he is and who God is, there'll be true humility. And that's
where prayer is going to start, with true humility. If a sinner
sees himself as he is, wretched, guilty, defiled with sin, someone
who deserves nothing but eternal condemnation from God Almighty,
and then the Lord reveals to him who God is. He's holy. He's just. he's great, he's sovereign,
that he sees there cannot be a greater contrast than the contrast
that exists between who God is and who I am, there'll be humility. And if God is pleased to show
that sinner that he has promised eternal life in his son, that
God sent his son into this world to purchase the salvation of
his people, that sinner will say with the songwriter, Who
am I that a king would bleed and die for? Who am I that he
would say, not my will, but thine, Lord? The answer I may never
know, why he ever loved me so. And I'm very confident that the
songwriter was right about that. The answer I may never know,
why he ever loved me so. That to an old rugged cross he'd
go. For who am I? That's a good way for an object
of mercy to begin prayer with who God is and who we are. When Abraham was interceding
for Sodom, he said, Behold, I've taken upon me to speak unto the
Lord, who am but dust and ashes. Moses at the burning bush, he
said, Lord, who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? Who am I that
I should lead the children of Israel? At the end of that book, after
everything Job had experienced, he said, I've heard of you with
the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. I see that
contrast, wherefore I pour myself, and I repent in dust and ashes. I'm not worthy. Who am I? And
let's bring this, I want to bring this right home now. I'm not
worthy. My children aren't worthy. My
grandchildren aren't worthy. Those that I love after the flesh
are not worthy of the least of God's mercies. Yet God is so
great. This is an easy thing for God
to do. Look what David says in verse 19. And this was yet a
small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also
of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the
manner of man, O Lord God? And what could David say more
unto thee? When David sat in silence, what could he say? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy
servants. David sat there in silence. Lord,
you know, you know my heart, you know. Do you know anyone
else like God? Do you know anyone who would
do something like this for a sinner? Do you? Would a man do something
so gracious for someone so undeserving? Is that the way men do things?
Would a man do something like this to exalt the lowly? No,
men fall all over themselves to exalt those who are lifted
up, aren't they? That's the way men do things.
Is it like a man to do something so gracious for the guilty? This
is not the way of man. This is the way of God. Thank
God this is His way. Though the Lord be high, yet
hath he respect unto the lowly, but the proud he knoweth afar
off." Now, the Lord told David this prophecy of the Messiah. David looked past Solomon and
he saw Christ. He saw the Messiah promised in
this promise of God. And David knew how God was going
to accomplish this purpose. He was going to do it through
his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When David says, And is this
the manner of man, O Lord God? Literally translated, David says,
This is the delineation of man, who is the Lord. This is the
man who is the Lord, the God-man, the Son of God and the Son of
David, the Lord Jesus Christ. David knew who was promised here,
and he said, Who am I? Who am I that the Messiah would
come through my bones? Now, every believer here, I want
to ask you a question. And I know the answer to it.
Have you sat before the Lord in awe of His mercy to you? Have you sat before Him in awe
and given thanks? He's washed you in the blood
of His Son. He shed the blood of His precious
Son to wash you from your sins. Have you sat in awe? Just in
silence before him, but sat in awe that he's made the righteousness
of Christ to be your righteousness. He's given it to you. He made
you the righteousness of God in Christ. He's given you an
understanding of his word. You can read God's word and understand
what he's saying. Have you sat in awe before him? I'm confident of this. Dale,
you and Jackie have sat before the Lord and said, Who am I and
what is my house? The Lord is merciful and gracious
and we give thanks. David said, Who am I? Humility
before the Lord. The second pillar of true prayer.
David gives thanks for God's sovereignty. Look at verse 21. He says, For thy word's sake
and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great
things to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great,
O Lord God. For there is none like thee,
neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we
have heard with the hearing of our ears." Now what brought on
this prayer of worship from David? Sovereign mercy and free grace. That's what brought on this prayer.
David said, I'm going to build the Lord a house. And God said,
no, David, you're not going to build me a house. I'm going to
make you a house. And he gave David blessings he
never asked for. You see, men will only worship
when they meet the God who has mercy on whom he will have mercy,
a sovereign God. David says, who am I that God
would show such mercy to me? And the answer is, David, nothing. You're nothing. The answer is
not found in you. There's no reason found in you
that God would show mercy to you. God put his eternal mercy
upon you because It was according to thine own heart. It's according
to his will, his love, his mercy to his people and his son. Look
over Matthew chapter 11. Our Lord himself prayed this
way. In Matthew chapter 11. In verse 25. At that time Jesus answered and
said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and you
have revealed them unto babes. That's God's sovereignty. He
hid them from the wise and the prudent. He revealed them to
the simple, to babes. Why? Even so, Father, for so
it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto
me of my Father. And no man knoweth the Son, but
the Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father,
save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." Now,
you understand what that's saying. The only people that know the
Father are those that the Son reveals the Father to. That's
His sovereign mercy. Now, someone who does not know
the Lord will say, well, there's nothing I can do to be saved
then if God didn't choose me, if He didn't reveal Himself to
me. I'm damned no matter what I do. And they say that, blaming
God for their unbelief. That's why they say that in it
all. That's why they say it. Let me tell you this. It's not
God's fault. It's my fault. Unbelief is my
fault. That's not so. Well, nothing
I can do to be saved because look what our Lord says next
in verse 28. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I'll give you rest. If I don't go to Christ for rest
and I'm burdened down under the burden of my sin, it's my fault,
isn't it? He said, come unto me. Todd Nybert made this statement
at our preacher school about a month ago. I was telling Evan
last night, I've been waiting ever since to use it. The gospel,
he said, is not for everyone because Christ did not die for
everyone. The gospel is not for everyone. We're to preach it
to everyone, but the gospel's not for everyone. The gospel
is for anyone. The gospel is for anyone who
will have salvation on God's terms. The gospel is for anyone
who's heavy laden. The gospel is for anyone who's
thirsty. The gospel is for anyone who's
hungry. The gospel is for anyone who's
a sinner. Are you a sinner? Are you? Then come to Christ. You go to
him. You'll find out soon enough.
Oh, I came because he was drawing me. You come to Christ. You'll find out soon enough.
Oh, I chose him because he chose me first. You come to Christ. You'll find out right quick.
Oh, I love him because he first loved me. You come to Christ. And when you get there, you'll
give thanks. for God's sovereignty in salvation. You'll say with David, the Lord
reigneth, let the earth rejoice. The sovereign God is the only
God who will be worshipped. That's the second pillar of true
prayer. We give thanks for God's sovereignty. Third, David gives
thanks for God's electing love. Look at verse 23 back in our
text. 2 Samuel 7. And what one nation in the earth
is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem
for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do
for you great things and terrible? For thy land before thy people,
which thou redeemest to thee from Egypt, from the nations
and from their gods, from their idols. For thou hast confirmed
to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee forever.
For thou, Lord, art become their God." Now the Lord chose one nation. Out of all the nations of the
earth, he chose one nation to be his people. And he redeemed
those people from bondage in Egypt. He brought them out with
a great arm. God chose Israel. He passed every other nation
on earth by. He didn't choose the Philistines.
He didn't choose the Hittites. He didn't choose the Hivites.
He didn't choose the Canaanites. He chose Israel. to be his people. No other nation had the priesthood. No other nation had the tabernacle. Not one other nation had the
sacrifices, but Israel did. Now, was God unjust? Was God
unjust to pass those other nations by? God forbid. The nation Israel is a picture
of spiritual Israel, true Israel, those people that God chose in
eternity past to be redeemed by the blood and the righteousness
of his son. And brethren, those people are
redeemed. They're eternally set, justified
before God. God chose those people out of
Adam's fallen race, and he passed every other son of Adam by. Now, is God unjust? Is that unfair? I told you a few weeks ago, Janet,
never let our girls say, well, that's not fair. Because she
never wanted that statement, ever, to be applied to God. God
forbid that we would say, what he did is just and right, and
we give thanks. We don't find fault with God's
election. We give thanks. Look in Romans chapter 9. And
I'll tell you why we give thanks. Because if God hadn't chosen
me, I never would have chosen him. We give thanks. In Romans
9 verse 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt
say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath
resisted his will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that replyest against God? Who do you think you are to reply
against God? Shall the thing form save him
that formed it? Why hast thou made me thus? Hath
not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make
one vessel into honour? and another under dishonor? Yes,
he does. And if we ever see him in his
sovereign, electing love, we'll say, who am I? Who am I to be
made part of the family of God? When I was a boy living in Danville,
the trio there sang a song that had this line in it, I'm not
worthy to be here, but thank God I belong. I'm not worthy,
but I belong. because he chose me. He put me
in his Son. He washed me in his blood and
he made me part of his family. And if any sinner belongs to
the family of God, they'll say it's only because of God's electing
love. When David uses the word God here, redeemed his people,
that word God is plural. The Father chose me. God the
Son came to redeem me. God the Holy Spirit gave me life. because of his electing love.
And we give thanks. That's the third pillar of true
prayer. The fourth pillar of true prayer, David gives God
all the glory. Look at verse 26. And he says,
let thy name be magnified forever, saying the Lord of hosts is the
God over Israel. And let the house of thy servant
David be established before thee. Let the name of the Lord of hosts
be magnified. Let God get all the glory. David
said in Psalm 115, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto
thy name, get glory, get honor for thy mercy and for thy truth's
sake. Let thy name be magnified. More than anything, I want the
people that I preach to, I want you to know the name of the Lord,
because if you know his name, you know who he is, because his
character is revealed in his name. And this desire that the
name of God be glorified should be expressed frequently in prayer. And I would say it should be
expressed in every prayer, and it should. But I want to be careful
making that statement. Now, listen to what I'm saying.
This thought that God get all the glory should be expressed
in every prayer. But don't let it become, OK,
well, I've got to say these words in every prayer, because then
you know what will happen? You'll be saying your prayers
instead of praying. And there's a big difference.
Don't just get some favorite phrases and just repeat them
in every prayer. But let this desire be upon our
heart and in our prayer that God get all the glory. Our Lord taught us to pray this
way. In the disciples prayer, he taught us to pray, Our Father
who art in heaven, hallowed, holy, reverend, exalted be thy
name. That's the way we've been taught
to pray. And if you look over at John chapter 12, this is the
way our Lord prayed. I think we would agree he's the
greatest man of prayer ever lived in the HB, the greatest man of
prayer. And look how he, this was his
entire prayer. In John 12, verse 27, he says, Now is my soul troubled,
and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour,
this hour of suffering, this hour of sacrifice. But for this
cause came I into this hour. Father, glorify thy name. That's his entire prayer. Father,
glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from
heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.
Now look over in John 17. This is the way our Lord begins
his great high priestly prayer. These words spake Jesus and lifted
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son that thy son
also may glorify thee. And the father, remember just
a minute ago where the father said, I've glorified it and I
will glorify it again. Both those prayers is tied to
this hour, the hour of his sacrifice, the hour when he suffered to
redeem his people. God said, I'm going to get glory
through that sacrifice. That's his greatest glory. And
in David's prayer, what he's saying is whether you raise me
up or not. Whether you establish my throne
or not, whether you establish the throne of Solomon or not,
whatever else you do, get glory to your name. Get glory to your
name. Because if God gets glory to
his name, I promise you this, his people will be blessed. His
people will be blessed because God's greatest glory is his sovereign
mercy to sinners. Grace and salvation through the
sacrifice of his son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Now the first pillar
of true prayer is humility before the Lord. Second, giving thanks
for God's sovereignty. Third, giving thanks for His
electing love. And fourth, praying that God
would get all the glory. And the fifth pillar, true prayer
is from the heart. In verse 27, back in our text,
look what David says. For thou, Lord of hosts, God
of Israel, has revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build
thee an house. Therefore, because of your sovereign mercy, hath
thy servant found it in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee."
True prayer is from the heart. Like I said a minute ago, it's
not vain repetition of good words and sound doctrinal phrases.
True prayer is from the heart. Now, public prayer. I don't know
a lot about public prayer, so I'm not going to say a lot about
it, but let me tell you this. I find public prayer to be very
difficult, to be more difficult than preaching, really, in many
ways. But I know this about public
prayer. The best public prayer is the same as the best private
prayer. It's from the heart. In public
prayer, you're leading a group of people before the throne.
of Almighty God. And it comes to our mind, the
mind of this flesh, to impress people with our knowledge. You
know, we might want to impress someone with the way we can turn
a phrase or something. But we're not talking to men.
Whether it's public prayer or it's private prayer, we're speaking
to our Father. Do you find it difficult to speak
to your dad? Public prayer is speaking to our Father. Just
speak to him from the heart. He's not going to be impressed
with our great language and phrases. It's from the heart. True prayer
is from the heart. Just pour out your heart before
him. He'll hear. And sixth, the sixth pillar of
prayer is this. David pleads God's word. He pleads
God's word, not his word, God's word. Look at verse 25. And now,
O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant
and concerning his house, establish it forever, and do as thou hast
said. Let thy name be magnified forever,
saying, The Lord of hosts is God over Israel. Let the house
of thy servant David be established before thee. For thou, O Lord
of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying,
This is what you said, I will build thee an house. have found
it in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. And now, O
Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou
hast promised this goodness unto thy servant. Therefore now let
it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue
forever before thee, for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and
with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed forever."
I wouldn't have the audacity to pray this prayer. I would
not have the audacity to pray that you would bless my house
forever. Except you said, that's your word. There's a story that
Spurgeon told. He didn't know whether the story
was true or not, but it's a good story. It illustrates the point.
There's a story about Alexander the Great. Alexander saw one
of his soldiers do something that impressed him. And he went
to that soldier and he said, I'll give you anything you ask
for. You send your request to my treasurer
and whatever you ask for is yours. A few days later, that request
arrived and the treasurer looked at it and he was furious because
he asked for such a large sum. He refused to honor it. And Alexander
heard about it and he looked at that request and he said,
I like that man's face. He asked for something great. I like his faith. He honored
me by making such a large demand. He's asking for something that's
worthy of Alexander to give. He asked for something that only
Alexander could give. He asked for something that honored
Alexander's greatness. And the story goes, that man
got what he asked for. Is there anything that you could
ask for that's too great for God to give? No, there's not. Especially when we ask for what's
in his word. Don't our children do that? Every
parent in this room knows what I'm getting ready to say. But
you said. But you said when Jan and I were
on vacation, we passed his mother and her little boy, his three
or four years old, and he was going along beside her and he
had this look on his face and just the sweetest voice. He said,
but you said after we ate dinner, we'd go to Nana's room. And I
thought, boy, he's got you there. If you said that, he's got you
there. Well, if our parents, who are
just flesh, will do the best that they can to honor their
word, won't our heavenly father honor his word? Thou hast magnified
thy word above all thy name." He'll honor his word. Then if
you're going to plead with God, plead his word. Even if it seems
like you're pleading for a blessing that's too great for a sinner
like you, plead his word. Lord, you said, whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. I'm calling because
you said. Lord, you said, him that cometh
to me, I will in no wise cast out. Lord, you should cast me
out, but I'm coming because you said. Lord, you said, I've not
spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I said not under
the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain. Lord, I'm seeking. Reveal yourself to me because
you said that a son of Jacob like me will not seek you in
vain. Lord, you said. Lord, you said, blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness because they will
be filled. Lord, I'm empty. I'm coming to you because you
said you'd fill me. Lord, you said, if any man thirst,
let him come unto me and drink. Lord, I'm in a drought, just
in the desert. I'm empty. I'm coming to you
for the water of life because you said out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water. Lord, you said, come unto me,
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest.
Lord, I'm coming to you for rest. I'm burdened under the weight
of my sin. I'm burdened trying to earn a
righteousness that I cannot earn. I'm coming to you because you
said you'd give me rest. Lord, you said, though my sins
be as scarlet, they'll be whiter than snow. Lord, I'm coming to
you to be washed in the blood of your son because you said
you'd wash me whiter than snow. Lord, you said their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more. Lord, I'm coming to you. Cast all my sins upon your son. Let them be put away under his
blood so you remember them no more. I would not have the audacity
to pray that prayer. except you said their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more. Lord, you said I'll never
leave thee nor forsake thee. Everything I do deserves that
you would forsake me. But you said I'll not leave you
nor forsake you. Lord, you said where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Lord, we live in a dry, barren land. Would you please bless
us this morning with the Word of the Lord? Would you please
bless us and enable us to worship thee in spirit and in truth?
Because you said, where two or three are gathered together,
they are mine amidst them. Is there anything better to plead
than God's Word? There isn't, is there? And let's
close with this thought as our prayer. I think I probably end every
message with, may the Lord bless that to your heart. Lord, honor
your word. Make your word a blessing to
the hearts of thy people, because you said, my word shall not return
unto me void, but it will accomplish the purpose whereunto I send
it.