Speechless — Chuck Smith

Now shall we turn in our Bibles to psalm 34 for our scripture reading? I've changed it from the bulletin. Not the secretary's fault mine second mistake today. Shall we stand as we read the 34th psalm?

I'll read the first the outnumbered verses and pastor Brian will lead the congregation in the reading of the even verses. I Will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall.

Continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Oh.

Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.

They looked unto him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and Delivereth them. Oh.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Oh fear the Lord ye his saints. But there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger.

But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

Come ye children hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good?

Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile.

Depart from evil and do good.

Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry.

The face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth the righteous cry and the Lord heareth and delivereth them.

Out of all of their troubles The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and save as such as be of a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all he keepeth all his bones.

Not one of them is broken.

Evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. Let's pray.

Gratitude for God’s Promises and Salvation

Father how grateful we are for the wonderful promises that we have in this particular psalm this morning. Certainly with all of these promises Lord it does. Bring forth from our heart spontaneous praise unto thee.

I Will bless the Lord at all times. His praise Shall continually be in my mouth Lord we Thank you for your goodness, we thank you for your blessings. We thank you for the salvation that you have provided for us through Jesus Christ.

We thank you Lord that you've adopted us into the family and that you have called us your children. That you might bestow upon us Lord your love and your mercies and your grace Lord bring us this day into a greater Appreciation of all that we have and all that you have done in Jesus name.

We pray Amen may be seated continuing through the Bible 2nd Samuel chapters 7 through 9 this week and This morning. We'd like to draw your attention to the 7th chapter Versus 18 through 20. Then went David in and sat before the Lord and he said Who am I O Lord God?

David’s Humble Response to God’s Covenant

And what is my house? That you have brought me to this place and This was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God. But thou has spoken also of thy servants house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man O Lord God.

And What can David say more unto thee? For thou Lord God knowest thy servant. God has blessed David immensely. God has expanded The kingdom. He has given David victory over all of his enemies. The story of David is a true rags to riches story.

David is sitting in his palace Surrounded by all of the luxuries of the palace and as he sits there he notices the people. Going into the area of the tent to worship God he sees the priest entering into the tent and David thinks You know, this isn't right.

I'm dwelling in the midst of the splendor of this cedar palace and God is there in the tent. We need to build a Temple for God and It should be the most glorious Building in all the world because it is a building for God.

Now David had a good friend named Nathan. He was a prophet and an advisor to David a good friend and so as Nathan came to visit with David as they were sitting together There in the afternoon David said to Nathan, you know I've decided that I'm gonna build a house for God a Beautiful temple where the people can come to worship.

His friend Nathan said splendid idea David. Do all that is in your heart? For the Lord is with you. That night Nathan couldn't sleep for God was speaking to him and God said to Nathan You're gonna have to carry a message to David.

You encouraged him to build the temple, but I cannot let David build a temple for me. So you tell David He can't build the temple. But I will build him a temple a house first of all. Nathan was told God didn't want David to build the temple that God had never required or asked.

Such a thing should be done. He was to remind David of his humble beginnings. David I took you out of the sheep coat From following after the sheep and I made you the ruler over my people. Remind him that I've been with him wherever he went.

I cut off all of his enemies and I have given you a great name. So that throughout history people will know of your name. And so it is David is a name that we all know as the great king of Israel. But rather than you building me a house David.

I will build you a house and After your death I will set up your seed after you. That I might establish my kingdom and He will build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

To David it is quite obvious that God is promising to him That the Messiah would descend from David's seed. Even as God promised to Abraham That through Abraham's seed all of the nations of the world would be blessed.

Thus the promise that the Messiah would come through Abraham. Now God is declaring to David the same kind of a promise. Through you David the Messiah will come your descendant Will sit upon the throne forever.

The Messiah as David’s Eternal Descendant

The promise that He would build that is the Messiah would build the house for God's name is Not really a reference to Solomon the son of David who did build the temple in Jerusalem. That temple was destroyed but the spiritual house.

That that Jesus the son of David would build. Zechariah said in chapter 6 verses 12 and 13 behold The man whose name is the branch He shall build the temple of the Lord. Even he shall build the temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne.

This was during the time of the rebuilding of the first temple that was destroyed by Babylon and now the second temple being rebuilt under Ezra. But Zechariah at this time is saying The true temple the man whose name is the branch He will build the temple of the Lord.

The Church as God’s Spiritual Temple

Paul Writing to the Corinthians said do you not know that you are the temple of God and that? The Spirit of God dwells in you. To the Ephesians Paul said Oh and we are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in Whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the Lord in Whom ye also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit.

So the promise to David that his descendant would build the house the temple is the spiritual temple that would be built by Jesus Christ even the church in Hebrews 3 6. But Christ as a son over his own house.

Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm? Unto the end Peter wrote you also as living stones are built up a spiritual house a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ Jesus.

The Suffering Messiah and Isaiah’s Prophecy

Now the one problem that rises in Identifying the seed of David as Jesus Christ rather than Solomon the main objection to this is found in verse 14 here in 2nd Samuel. For in verse 14 the Lord said I will be his father and He shall be my son.

But here's where the problem comes. If he commits iniquity I will chastise him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men. Now that one phrase if he commits iniquity is the phrase that seems to throw a monkey wrench into this whole concept as To the seed being a reference to the Messiah to Jesus Christ.

For we know that he was sinless and was to be sinless. So Why if he should commit? Iniquity. The Hebrew text was translated in an active voice. If It were translated and could very properly be translated in the passive voice it would read.

I will be his father and He shall be my son in his suffering for iniquity. I shall chastise him with the rod of men that is with the rod that is due unto man and With the stripes that are due to the children of man.

In other words He is declaring that The Son the Messiah the seed of David would actually suffer for iniquity. That he would bear the suffering that is due unto man as we read Isaiah 53. It surely ties this together verses 4 and 5.

He has carried our sorrows. That is the sorrows that were due to us. That we would have otherwise had to have suffered. He was wounded for our iniquities. He was bruised or Wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes We are healed.

So it gives a totally new Understanding and it then becomes perfectly harmonious with the rest of the scriptures that are obviously declaring that the seed of David to which the Lord was referring was none other than Jesus Christ Son of David.

The Davidic Throne and the Genealogies of Jesus

Suffice it to say that this is the way David took it and David understood it that is that the Messiah would come from David's seed and Sit upon the throne of David forever. When you read this same promise in Chronicles given by Nathan to David It again becomes quite obvious.

It shall come to pass when your days are expired. That you must go to be with your fathers. That I will raise up thy seed after thee Which shall be of thy sons and I will establish his kingdom. He will build me a house and I will establish his throne forever.

I will be his father. He will be my son. I will not take my mercy away from him as I took it from him as That was before thee that is Saul's family. But I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever and his throne shall be established Forever more.

That could not be said of Solomon. His throne was not established forever more. In fact the end of the Solomonic kind of dynasty ended with a man by the name of Jokanaus and He was taken as a captive to Babylon.

But the Lord did prophesy Concerning this son of Solomon who was the last of the Kings the Lord said of him write this man childless a Man that shall not prosper in his days for no man of his seed shall prosper Sitting upon the throne of David and ruling anymore in Judah.

So Jokanaus was cut off as far as God was concerned none of his descendants and he was a descendant of Solomon will sit upon the throne forever. It is interesting when we get to the New Testament People wonder why we have two genealogies for Jesus.

One in Matthew one in Luke and that the genealogies differ. The difference for the two genealogies is that in Matthew's gospel you have the genealogy of Joseph and From Joseph in the line to Joseph is Jokanaus.

But from Jokanaus there could not come a king. In Luke's gospel you have the genealogy of Mary. The genealogy again goes back to David as does Matthew Joseph. They were both descendants of David. But Mary's genealogy goes through David's son Nathan not through Solomon and So it is through Nathan that Jesus inherits the throne of David and thus can reign over the throne of David forever.

But not through the line of Solomon which was to be cut off now in Understanding that this prophecy from Nathan was a reference that The Messiah would come of David. He went before the Lord and he offered this prayer to the Lord.

David’s Amazement at Grace

First of all David was overwhelmed by the grace of God. He said who am I and What is my house? That you have brought me to this place. Here I am sitting in splendor upon the throne. I'm King. But who am I that you have brought me to this place.

I was just a little shepherd boy in Bethlehem and You did indeed take me from the sheep coat from following and here I am who am I that you should do this to me. When God chooses to lift us up It's very important that we not forget our beginnings.

Paul said what do you have but what you received and If you received it then why do you boast as though you didn't receive it of Any blessings that we might possess today and of the many? Blessings that we do possess today they are gifts from God and we need to recognize and realize that I Am where I am today because of God's grace.

When you think back on Your humble beginnings what you were as a kid growing up, but now you look and see what God has done for you. It's it's marvelous The grace of God that's been bestowed upon us but then David said Lord What you have done is absolutely astounding.

But it's nothing Compared to what you said you were going to do. I mean God what it what you have already done is just so overwhelming to me. But now you speak of the future what you are going to do. He said is this the way of man?

Whoever heard of anything as Wondrous as this. Surely this isn't the way men react or respond then David said What more? Can I say to you? What God had already done was? Actually more than David could really grasp.

David Becomes Speechless Before God

But now in contemplating What God has promised that he's going to do that the Messiah would come through David's lineage. David was awestruck. What more? Can David say I? Believe that David was one of the most articulate men who ever lived.

I Marvel at David's ability to Express his praise and his worship to God. The Psalms are always inspiring. Millions of people throughout history Have been inspired by the Psalms of David. Because he was so articulate.

He was so capable of expressing himself in such wonderful ways. And here is this man One of the most articulate who ever lived when he began to realize the wonderful grace of God and all that God had done for him as Capable as he was of expressing himself in beautiful form.

He's speechless. What more can David say? Lord, I'm just speechless Savonarola said. When prayer reaches its ultimate Words are impossible. That's the place to which David had been brought the Amazing grace of God as he began to just think and meditate Upon what God had just announced to him Reminding him of what God had already done, but now just completely Blowing his mind by declaring what he was going to do.

David this man of words Found himself speechless. What more Can David say what he is actually declaring at this point is Lord. You just read my heart. My feelings are so profound. There's no language that can express them.

There was a combination of Overflowing love appreciation joy gratitude wonders at the blessings of God. Have you ever been brought to that place in? Worship. Where words became inadequate? Or you were just speechless Where you had to say Lord just read my heart.

I Don't have words that can express the feelings that I have the love and the Appreciation for all that you have done for me. Lord just read my heart. Read the appreciation the love that is there. That is a wonderful place of prayer.

Meditating on God’s Grace and Salvation

When you come to that place in prayer that comes from the Understanding and the recognizing of the grace of God. When you come to that place where words are impossible. Lord just read my heart. Stop for a moment and think of what the Lord has done for you.

He took you out of the bondage of sin and He forgave all of your transgressions. He delivered you from the kingdom of darkness and He adopted you as his own child. He saved you from death the penalty for your sin.

He lifted you out of the miry clay in which you were sinking. And he set your feet upon the solid rock Christ Jesus and He has chosen to dwell in you the creator of the whole universe. Wanting to fellowship with you.

Wanting to walk with you. Wanting to help you. Wanting to strengthen you wanting to guide you. When you start thinking of what God has done and What God is doing? It's just overwhelming. But that's not all.

Christ’s Promise of Eternal Fellowship

It isn't just what God has done and what God is doing. But you look at the wonderful promises of what God has planned for you. Jesus said in my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you I'm going to prepare a place For you, and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also.

And He speaks of the glories of his heavenly kingdom. No tears, no sorrows. No pain, no suffering. The former things are passed away. All things have become new and We shall live and reign with him forever.

And when you start thinking on these things if you really meditate on these things like David you'll find yourself speechless. What can I say words can't express. The feelings of gratitude the feelings of love as I respond to his love for me I would suggest that even as David upon hearing the good news and So he went in and he sat before the Lord and He sort of meditated upon these things that God had declared.

That you find some place today to just sit before the Lord and start meditating on what God has done and Then meditate upon what God has promised. He's going to do for you an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ to spend eternity with him in The glories and the splendor of his kingdom.

Oh Lord what can I say? Just read my heart and Just sit there and let your heart just open up and let God just read the feelings that you can't express. You'll find that it is a very rewarding exciting and wonderful experience.

Closing Prayer and the Assurance of Grace

Let's pray father. Truly your grace is amazing. Saved a wretch. Like me I once was lost, but now I'm found was blind. But now I see and Lord when we've been there 10 ,000 years. Bright shining as the Sun.

We've no less days to sing your praise than when we first begun. For through the endless ages to come you will be revealing unto us the exceeding richness of your love and mercy Towards us through Christ Jesus our Lord.

What can we say? Lord just read our hearts in Jesus name. Amen. So we stand. It's quite possible that you have not really experienced yet the real grace of God. It may be that you're still in the sheep coat.

You haven't yet been brought to the throne of reigning with Christ through life in life could be that you're still bound in iniquity and In the power of sin that it has a hold upon you and you have not yet Experienced the wonderful grace of our loving Lord.

Invitation to Receive God’s Salvation

The pastors are down here at the front this morning. To bring you into the beginning of a walk with him. God wants to work in your life. God desires to cleanse you from your sin. To adopt you into his family.

To receive you as his child. The only thing that's Keeping that from happening is you. God has provided all that is necessary for your salvation. You can become a part of the temple of God that Jesus is building.

But you have to receive All of God's love. All of God's provisions are of no value until you receive them. And so this day if God is speaking to your heart, you'd like to begin a New life in Christ, I would encourage you as soon as we're dismissed make your way forward.

These pastors are down here to pray for you to introduce you into the family of God. That you might begin to reign in righteousness with Jesus Christ our Lord. Now may the Lord be with you watch over and keep you in his love fill you with his spirit and Cause you to abound in all things in Christ Jesus for his glory.

The Lord bless thee And Keep thee. The Lord may His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance Upon thee and give.