I Want to Do Something for God

I Want to Do Something for God
2 Samuel 7:1-29
July 31-Aug 1, 2021

Have you ever stepped back, taken a look at your life, and then realize how much God has done for you? And then say to the Lord in response, "You have been so amazing in my life. I want to do something for you. You have blessed me. You have done so much. I want to do something for you." Now that is a right heart for sure. This is exactly where David is when it comes to 2nd Samuel 7. He looks back, he sees and he's amazed at what God has done and he wants to do something. What he wants to do, he wants to build a temple. He wants to build the house of the Lord because the Ark of the Covenant is in curtain tents and so he's like, "I want to build a temple."

This is his desire. Why does he have this? Because he looks back on his life. God has promised him since he was a teenager that he would be anointed king of Israel. Now he is. God has been with him through every distress. He looks back. He sees, "God has saved me from every distress." I'll tell you this is a very important thing to recognize. I look back. I've lived enough years now, and I've seen enough distresses that I can tell you that God has been with me in every distress. I know many would say the same. Now, it's so wonderful to see what's going on in David's life. God has been with David in every battle, given him peace on every side, given him the city of Jerusalem, also called the city of David, as a throne to reign over Israel.

Another amazing blessing. The king of Tyre, this is just north of Israel on the coast there. The king of Tyre sent David massive cedar trees, craftsmen, stonemasons, and they gave David, built David a beautiful house of cedar. And so David, now sitting in this beautiful house of cedar then says, "I'm in a house of stone and cedar and God's Ark of the Covenant is in the tent. I want to build the temple, a house for God."

He tells Nathan the prophet this. Nathan at first says, "Hey, God is with you. Anything you want to do, do it." Then the word of the Lord came to him that night, "No, the answer is no, David. You are not the one who will build a house for me." Now, that's a very important thing, it's no correction. David's heart is right and he knows David's heart is right. In fact, he says, "You want to build a house for me. You're not the one who will do it, but I'll tell you what David, I will do even yet more for you." And then he gives him a word, a prophetic word. "You want to build a house for me? I will build a house for you. I will give you an eternal house. In other words, a son of yours will sit on the throne in Jerusalem forever."

Jesus is all over this chapter. It is absolutely beautiful when we see God's, response to David's heart. Let's read it, 2nd Samuel 7, starting in verse one. 'Now it came about when the king lived in his house,' this is the one built by the stonemasons and the carpenters by all these cedars, 'and the Lord had given him rest on every side from his enemies. That the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See, now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the Ark of God dwells in tent curtains." And Nathan, at first, said to the king, "Go, do all that's in your mind. The Lord is with you,".' Nathan knows God has been with David from the beginning. Anything that's in your heart David's got to be good.

'But it came about that same night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, "You go and you say to my servant, David, thus says, the Lord, "Are you the one who will build a house for me to dwell in? I have not dwelled in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day. But I have been moving about in a tent, even in the tabernacle. Wherever I've gone with all the sons of Israel, did I ever speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel and commanded my people of Israel saying, "Why have you not built a house for me of cedar?" Have I ever said that?

Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, "Thus says the Lord of hosts,' and listen to this speech. "I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep that you should be ruler over my people, Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone. I have cut off all your enemies from before you, and not only that. I will make your name. I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. You will have one of the greatest names of all the men who've ever lived on the earth." You want to bless me. No, I'm going to bless you.

"I will appoint a place for my people, Israel, and I will plant them that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed, nor will the wicked afflict them anymore like formerly." By the way, this promise has everything to do with the modern Palestinian problem by the way. We'll get to that at that class. '"Even from the day I commanded judges to be ruled over my people, Israel, I will give you rest through your enemies."

Then it says this, ''The Lord declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you who will come forth from you and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of my kingdom forever. I will be a father to him. He will be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the son's men, but my love and kindness shall not depart from him as I took it away from Saul whom. I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever," Jesus is the fulfillment of that, "for your throne shall be established forever."

In accordance with all these words and all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. Now David,' I love this scene right here. David, when he hears this word, David wants to do something amazing for God because God has done so much for him. The word of the Lord is, "No, you may not build my house, but I will do even more for you." 'David, then when he hears this,' verse 18, 'He went in and he sat before the Lord.' I love this scene right here. 'He sat before the Lord and he said, "Who am I? Oh, Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far? Even this was insignificant because Lord, you have spoken now of the house of your servant concerning the distant future. This is the custom of man, oh Lord God.

Again, what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, oh Lord God. For the sake of your word and according to your heart, you have done all of this greatness to let your servant know. For this reason," verse 22, "For this reason, you are a great God. You are great, oh Lord God. There is none like you. There is no God besides you according to all that we've heard with our ears." In other words, I have heard of your fame and you have done it, "And what nation on the earth is like your people, Israel," great question, "whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for himself, and to do a great thing for you and awesome things for your land before your people whom you have redeemed for yourself, from Egypt, from nations, and from their gods.

For you have established for yourself, your people, Israel, as your own people forever, and you, oh Lord, have become their God. Great promises that endure to this day. Now, therefore, oh Lord God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and his house, do it, confirm it, confirm it forever, and do it just as you have spoken that your name may be magnified forever. By saying the Lord of hosts is God over Israel and may the house of your servant David be established before you.

For you, oh Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have made a revelation to your servant saying, "I will build you a house." Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer, and now oh Lord God, you are God and your words are true and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now, therefore, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you, for you, oh Lord God, have spoken and with your blessing, may the house of your servant be blessed forever." This is an amazing speech.

I. Never Forget What God has Done

All right, these are the verses that I want us to capture and look at and apply to our lives. Starting with this perspective, never forget what God has done. This is such a right perspective because if you ever take it for granted, that's when faith begins to falter, but when you always see that perspective and that view of things, it makes you always so thankful, very, very grateful. That's a very important perspective to have.

I can look back on my life and I'll tell you what, I'm very, very thankful. I have been so blessed of God and He has saved me from so many distresses. I stand in awe of his hand on my life. In fact, I did this last night and I want to do it again. Show of hands, how many people would even say, "If it wasn't for the intervening of God, if it wasn't for God in my life, I don't know that I would even be alive today." Show of hands. Isn't that amazing? I don't even know I would be alive except for God's hand in my life. Every service I've ever asked that question, so many hands are raised. When you step back and see that, it makes you so thankful.

One of the worship songs I love, we have many great ones but one of my favorites is a worship song called Goodness of God. Let me just quote some of the words, "I love you, Lord". Now, that's a great start right there to any worship song. I love you, Lord. For your mercy never fails me. All my days, I've been held in your hands. From the moment I wake up until I lay my head, I will sing of the goodness of God. Then the great chorus, "All my life you have been faithful." I just love singing that because it makes you reflect, it makes you look back on your life.

All my life,
All my life, you have been faithful.
All my life you have been so, so good.
With every breath that I'm able, I will sing of the goodness of God.

Next verse:

I love your voice.
You have led me through the fire, in the darkest night.
You are close like no other.
I've known you as a father, I've known you as a friend,
And I have lived in the goodness of God.

In all my life, you have been faithful.
In all my life, you have been so good.
With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God.

A. God blesses first

Never forget, never forget, always have that thankful heart to appreciate. Step back and see because one of the things you'll see is that God is the one who blesses first. God pursues you. He is the one who initiates. See, notice verse eight, God says to David, "I took you from the pasture, from following sheep, and I made you ruler over my people, Israel." God blesses first, and then that's what David is doing now. He's looking back at all of that, that God has done, and wants to do something in response.

In other words, if God hadn't done that. If God hasn't reached out to you, God did not initiate, God did not knock on the door of your heart, you would still be in your sins. Me too. I don't know about you. I would rather have God's mercy. I would rather have all that God has for me than to stay in the condition that I was in. Ephesians 2:12-13. "Remember, remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise and having no hope and without God in the world." Never forget. "But now in Christ Jesus, you who were formerly far off, have been brought near, and you've been brought near by the blood of Christ." Oh, I'd rather have that. I would rather have that.

Many scriptures reveal that God is the one who wants to give that to you. He's the one who initiates, he pursues, he reaches out. Jesus was sent, the son of the living God, to seek out, His scripture says, "God sent his son to seek out." Isn't that amazing? God sent his son to seek sinners. The holy righteous God of heaven was sending his son to find sinners. I just find that amazing. Go find sinners, draw them to, reconcile them to the living God.

Revelation 3:20, Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, "Behold, I stand at the door then I knock". I love this verse. "If anyone hears my voice," because he's been calling, "If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him, dine with him, and he with me." I want relationship, and I'm the one knocking, I'm the one calling. Open your heart.

1st John 4:19. "We love him because he first loved us." That's a great perspective. It's an important theme that runs through the entire scriptures. God takes the initiative, God pursues. It's not the other way around. Therefore, when you worship, you are worshiping God because of what he has done because he's pursued you because he's blessed you. In other words, you are responding to the fact that he is the one who blessed you. You don't worship to obtain his favor, you worship because he has poured out his favor.

It's like the idea of giving God the first fruits, that means there's been a wonderful harvest, so you give God out of the first fruits because he's already blessed your harvest. It's been a theme on Christian television. I don't know, do they still have Christian television? I don't watch Christian. I don't watch TV so I don't know. Back in the day, back in the day, when I used to watch TV, there was these Christian stations and oftentimes you would hear these, what I would see are people trying to manipulate and say, "Hey, if you would give God, he'll give back to you tenfold." It's like you're using the wrong motivation. No, the idea is God has already blessed you so amazingly. God has done so much in your life you want to do something in response. That's the idea.

B. God says ‘no’ for a reason

Then you see this. Notice this. 2nd Samuel 7, David sees all that God has done, and in response, he wants to do something amazing for God. He wants to build the temple, the house of God, and God says, "No." It's not a corrective no. God loves his heart. Are you the one? He loves his heart. Here's my point. If God says, "No," God says no for a reason. God says no for a reason. David's heart was in the right place. He wanted to do something to honor God. It's hard to understand when God says no when your heart is right.

Notice this, it's in fact 2nd Chronicles 6:8-9, this is the word of Solomon, David's son who did build the temple, "But the Lord said to my father, David, because it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless, you will not build my house." God gave the reason for it in another place because this is what David did. David received that word, "No, you are not the one, it will be your son who will build my house". David then said, "If I can't build the house, I'm going to do everything to prepare for the building of the house. He set out stonemasons, he set out to get more cedars, and all the gold and all the lavishness, he assembled it all, had the architects build the plans and he gave it all to his son, Solomon, all the materials, all the plans, all the outbuildings, everything. He gave it all to his son, Solomon.

He did this in a famous speech. This is in 1st Chronicles 28:2-3, David's speech. "Listen to me, my brethren, and my people. I had intended to build a house for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and the footstool of our God, so I made preparations to build it, and God said, "You shall not build a house for my name because," and here's the because, if God says, no, it's for a reason, here's the because, "Because you are a man of war and you have shed blood. No, it will be house, my house will be built by a man of peace, for this will be called a house of prayer, and it will not be built by a man of war. It will be built by a man of peace." Jesus, when he entered the temple in his day, he said, "This my father's house, and this house is a house of prayer, and so it will be built by a man of peace."

C. If God says no, He has something better

David accepted God's answer. David accepted the no without complaint. Now, you got to love David. He didn't have a fit, he didn't argue, he didn't dispute. He accepted God's answer. That shows also faith and maturity. No, it wasn't God's only answer. He loved David's heart. No, you will not be the one who builds a house for me, but I love your heart. I want to do even more. Here's the thing. It's actually a scriptural principle. If God says, no, he has something better. If God says no, it's because he has something better. I love that. It's a principle of the scriptures. Remember for our own maturity and in faith and encouragement for God does say no, there's always a reason, but the reason is he has something better. I remember back when I was in Bible college, I was so excited because God had called me to be into the ministry, called me to be a pastor. I was so excited. I'm now going to Bible college at Multnomah University and studying theology and the word and studying languages and I'm all excited. One day, a captain from a mercy ship, named Doulas, that's the name of the mercy ship, came to campus and spoke to the students and talked about all the things that they were doing city to city, going and giving mercy and there were those who were teaching the word on the ship to those, gospel was being given as we're giving mercy, and I thought, "This is amazing. I would love to serve on the mercy ship."

The captain was going to be there for a few days. I made an appointment to have lunch with him, and I said to him, "I want to serve. I want to be on this mercy ship. He said, "Well, let's talk." We talked a long time. He asked me a lot of questions. And at the end of it, he says, "No, I don't want you to be on the ship". I go, "What? I don't understand. I want to serve. I'm telling you, I want to serve. I want to give my life to ministry into this." He said, "No." We're talking to me here. He said, "No."

I said, "I don't understand." He said, "Here's why. Because you came to this school because you believed that God called you to be a senior pastor, then don't change direction. In fact, I'm convinced, hearing your heart, that God will use you more for missions as a senior pastor than you ever would be as a missionary. God wants you to be a senior pastor, and God wants you to have a heart for missions and you're going to do more for missions as a senior pastor. That's what God is saying to you." "Okay. I accept. Thank you." Then I found out later that I get seasick. Praise God. God knew. God has something better. That's for sure better.

I remember also, many of you know my story that when God called me to be a senior pastor, we felt like, "Hey, I need a good solid education, but how to pay for it is the question. I had no way to pay for it." I came up with an idea. I was going to build this. I was going to sell that. I was going to come up with all this because I needed a lot of money. I came up with this thing, I pursued it and I said, "Okay, God, I got it all thought out, I got it all figured out. I need you to bless my plan." It all fell apart on one day. In other words, "I'm not going to bless your plan." You're not going to bless my-- it all fell apart on. I remember the day of the week, it was a Friday evening, I heard the news, the plans, no. It's as if the Lord is saying, "I'm not going to bless your plan."

Lord, I felt like a punch in the gut. You know what I'm saying? Just like, "Lord, I can't afford. I don't understand. I can't do it. I can't do it. I have no idea. I am out of ideas. I don't know." And so all day, Saturday, that was a Friday night, all day Saturday, I'm saying, "God, I don't know what to do. I'm asking for help. I'm asking for a miracle because I'm out of ideas." Sunday morning, Friday night, Saturday I'm praying. Sunday morning, I'm at church. I'm literally 10 steps in the door when a fellow stepped in front of me and went like this and he says, "Stop, I got to tell you something. God has put it on my heart this week that I was supposed to pay your way through Bible college. "I thought, "God, your way is way better than mine."

If God says no, he has something better.

By the way, on a side note, when God did that, and that man meant every word of that, by the way, he meant every word of that. All the way through the Bible centers, into the seminary years, years, years, all of it, every single one. Every dollar. Here I am in Bible college now. God has made amazing miraculous provision. Here's my response. It's like if God is going to do that for me, I started sitting in the front row, and then I realized that the professor looks over my head, so I went back a few rows so I could look at him, and I'm going to take notes. I'm going to pour everything I got. Everything I got I'm going to pour it into this. If God's going to do that for me, then I'm going to pour everything I got into this. Amen.

Now, I ended up being the valedictorian, but not because I was trying, I just wanted to honor God. I just wanted to thank God for all that you've done. I love this perspective. God has something better. You want to build the house for me? No, I got something better. What God was promising David, is that he was put a son of David on the throne forever. That's why Jesus is famously called the son of David and as much to say when Jesus is called the son of David.

The one of the first times, in fact, I think it is the first time the scripture has ever called son of David, is when there was a blind man outside the Jericho and he heard commotion, and he said, "What's happening? What's happening?", and someone said, "Jesus is coming by." And so he yelled, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me." They quieted him down, "You be quiet, and he yelled out even louder, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me."

There's Jesus in this crowd, turmoiled in commotion but he hears this small voice, "Jesus, son of David," and Jesus said, "Bring that man to me." They went to him and said, "The master calls for you." And so they brought him in and he stood before Jesus. Here now in front of Jesus is this blind man who has recognized something that the leaders of Israel did not recognize because he knew when the Messiah comes, he will be the son of David. The Messiah, when he comes, will give sight to the blind. He said, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy." There was the man standing in front of Jesus.

Can you just imagine what joy in Jesus' heart as this man stand in front of him? Jesus said to him, "What can I do for you?" The man says, "I want my sight," and you shall have it, and he gave him his-- What a scene the first time, the son of David, what a promise, what a promise made. It is for you and for me, all of us. We wouldn't even be in this place had it not been for that promise made to David and the fulfillment of that in Jesus Christ.

Notice Isaiah 9, we read it every Christmas, "A child will be born to us. A son will be given. The government will rest on his shoulders and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace, and there will be no end to the increase of his government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it, and uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forever more." To establish it and to uphold it from then on and forevermore. I love this last phrase, "and the zeal of a lot of hosts will accomplish this." I love the zeal of the Lord.

Luke 1, prophetic word to Mary, "Behold you will conceive in your womb and bear son. You shall call his name Iesus, Yehshua, Jesus. He will be great. He'll be called the son of the most high, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David. Back to 2nd Samuel 7, notice this next scene that unfold because it's a beautiful picture. Upon hearing this amazing prophetic word of fulfilling, "You want to do something for me? No, you will not be the one who does it, but I got something amazing for you." David, hearing this, he goes into the tabernacle and he sits down in the presence of God. I love this scene.

II. Draw Near to God and be Seated

Here's my point, draw near to God and be seated. Sit down. Now, it means David was in no hurry. He just sat down because he has some things he wants to say in response of this. He hears this amazing word and he sits down. I just want you to imagine this for a moment. This is a very deep, deep moment. David comes to the tabernacle and he just sits down. There, the Ark of God resided. The Shekinah Glory of God. Clearly, he knew that he was in the presence of the living God and he just simply sat down. "Lord, who am I that you would do such a thing?" It's such an amazing thing.

A. See God from the right perspective

When I think of this, it reminds me of what Moses said to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 33:27. Moses said this, "The eternal God is a dwelling place." Now, think of this. This is beautiful because I tell you we need more dwelling, we need more sitting in the presence of the living God because there, he says, there is a dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Remember Moses as he led the people of Israel, he sent up a tent outside the camp and he called it the tent of meeting. Now, that's just a great word for the tabernacle. A tent of meeting, a place to meet God. We need to meet God, we need to have more meetings with God. We need to sit in the presence of God more because something amazing happens in your soul when you just sit in the presence of God. The tent of meeting Moses set up, don't you have to wonder how many actually did it? Moses said, "Anyone who wants to meet with God can go and sit. Anyone who wants to go can go out to the tent of meeting."

We need more meeting. We need more dwelling. We need more sitting. Sometimes, the only meeting people have is to come to Jesus' meeting. Well, we need a come to Jesus' meeting for sure but we need more meeting than that. We need more dwelling than that, we need more residing than that. When you do that, you're going to see God from a whole different perspective. When you sit and dwell there, the eternal God is a dwelling place, you will see God from a different view. Notice to see God from the right perspective is exactly what happened for David, verse 22. "For this reason, you are a great God. Oh Lord, you are great. There is none like you. There is no God besides you. All that we ever heard with our years, you've done it."

Here's my point, David because his view of God is so right, he has no desire for the so-called gods of the world. The idols of the world mean nothing to David. So many people at that time were so drawn. Many times, the people in Israel were drawn to these idols. There was no desire in David. Why? Because God was enough. You're the great God over all the earth. All that we've heard with our ears, you've done it. In other words, is there something lacking in God that people must search for something else? Something lacking in God, something missing, perhaps?

What is missing is this. God does not satisfy the flesh. That's what's missing. God will not satisfy the flesh that desire of the flesh. God says, "Yes, I'm not going to satisfy the desires of your flesh because I got something better. I got something better for you than that. I'll fill your soul with the joy of the Lord. I'll put my hand on your life. I'll fill my--" That's way better. There is nothing that this world has that compares to what God has. That's why David was not drawn to these idols.

Here's an interesting scene that unfolds. I mentioned this at the Wednesday service. When the Philistines heard that David was anointed king of Israel, they were very upset. "Is this the same David that was living with us? We thought he was the betrayer in Israel. No, this whole time he was planning to become the king." They called David and they rallied their troops. We're going to face David down. David inquired of the Lord, "Should I go up against them?' God says, "Yes, go up against them. I'll get them into your hand." He did, and David defeated the Philistines there at [unintelligible 00:35:27] but it tells us that they fled.

In being defeated, they fled and they abandoned their idols there. They brought their idols into the camp. Now, you might not know this, but the idols of the world at that time were very sexual in nature. Their idols were very graphic. You get me on that. It says that David and his men, finding these idols, carried them away. On the first reading of that, you think, "Oh no, say it isn't so. Say it isn't so."

There's a parallel account of this in 1st Chronicles 14:12, parallel accounts. In fact, if you have a pen, may I suggest that you write in the column of your Bible, 1st Chronicles 14:12, because it says, "They abandoned their idols there," same account. "David gave the order and they burned them with fire." I love that verse right there. Now, there's my David. There's my David. He as a leader knows had nothing to do with these things. Something's missing in God, he wants nothing to do with them. Burn them.

B. See yourself from the right perspective

I tell you what, that's a great word for everyone because there's a lot of stuff in the world that God says, "Burn it, get it out of your life. I got something better for you than that. I got something way better. Don't let that stuff remain in your life because what I got for you is way better." Lastly, we'll close with this. You draw near to God and be seated. Not only will you see God from a right perspective, you'll see yourself from the right perspective. You'll see yourself.

Notice, David came in and sat before the Lord. He says, "Who am I God that you have brought me this far? Yet still, even this was insignificant, for you have now spoken to your servant concerning the distant future. Who am I?" Because David knew that God was right. "I took it from being a shepherd, from following the sheep. I made you ruler." David knew God was right. David was just a simple shepherd. It was God that caused him to accomplish much. It was God in him that caused him to accomplish much.

When he was anointed that day by Samuel, it says the spirit came upon him mightily from that day forward. Same spirit that anointed David is the same spirit, same holy spirit. The same holy spirit when you ask Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and savior, the holy spirit comes upon you mightily. It's what I call the god's factor. The Holy Spirit impact. David is just a simple shepherd, but it's God in him that accomplishes much.

I love this perspective. I look back on my life, I was just a simple farm boy. If you know my life, my story, I was just a simple farm boy with an alcoholic father. How can you do anything with a poor farm boy, with an alcoholic father? Well, there's this, the God factor. God in me is the hope of glory. God Has a mission, God has a purpose. God is the one, His presence makes all the difference. 2nd Samuel 22, "You are my lamp, oh Lord," David says. "You illumine my darkness. By you, I can run upon the troop. By my God, I can leap over a wall."

What'd you notice what David is not saying, there's no bragging here. "Do you know that I can leap over a wall? Did you know that I can run upon a troop? Do you know who I am? Do you know who I am? I can run upon the troop. I'm a man of war, I can accomplish much." No, that's not David. David comes and sits in the presence of God." Who am I? Who am I? I'm just a simple shepherd. I'm just a farm boy, but you make all the difference. Oh my God, I can leap over a wall. Your help makes me great. You enlarge my steps and my feet have not slipped." It's the God factor. It's the Holy Spirit impact. It's everything.

I'm just a simple farm boy but because of the holy spirit, because of the impact of God, I was able to lead my father, alcoholic, abusive father, to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and got the baptize him with my own hands, that's a God impact right there.

Psalm 34, "The righteous cry and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all the troubles. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all." Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walked through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil," because of the God factor, "because you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Who am I? Is a great question. Who are you? I'm just a simple farm boy with an alcoholic father. Who are you?

I think most people in this room would say, "I'm just a simple. I'm just simple me." But then there's this, the God in me factor. It changes everything. James 5:16-18, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective and accomplishes much. Then it says, "Now Elijah was a man with a nature like yours and mine." In other words, he's just a man, like you and me, but the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective and accomplishes much. That's the God factor. The God in me changes everything because I'm just a simple farm boy. Elijah, he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produces fruit.

I'm just a simple me and you're just a simple you but God in you will accomplish much. He has purpose. He has mission. He has that what he wants to accomplish in your life, that nothing stand in the way because God is enough. God is enough. He will fill your soul even to overflowing. I want that. Father, thank you so much for showing us your desire to bless our lives. Thank you for showing us that you are enough. You are enough, God, and everything you have, the mission, the purpose, the calling. That which you want to accomplish, well, God, that's what I want.

Church, how many today would say that very same thing. That's what I'm asking. You're enough. You're enough for me God. I'm asking that you would fill my life with more of you because you are more than enough. I am asking that you, it's the God in me that changes everything you accomplish. You make my life effective. You do that what you want to do in my life. You do it, Lord. We've heard of your great fame. Do it again. Church, how many would say that? Will you just raise your hand and say it to the Lord, "You are more than enough. Do what you want to do. Your mission, your purpose, accomplish it in my life. It's you in me that I've asked you for.

Father, thank you for everyone who has stirred up the Lord and says, "Yes, God, you are enough." Pour out your life, your spirit, and do all that you would do in us. We ask that in Jesus's name and everyone said Amen.

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor: Can we give the Lord praise and glory and honor, Amen.

[applause]

Pastor: Amen.

[00:44:41] [END OF AUDIO]