Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20070107.htm

1 AND 2 CHRONICLES: GAINING DIRECTION OUT OF THE AIMLESSNESS OF APOSTASY
Part II: Gaining Direction From God's Work In The Reign Of David, 1 Chronicles 10-29
K. Learning To DIRECT God's People EFFECTIVELY To Do God's Will
(1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30)
  1. Introduction
    1. Many books have been written on motivating people to follow one's leadership, and often many "gimmicks" have been suggested by them to get followers motivated to go in a certain direction.
    2. However, David's influence over Israel in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 16:13) was disarmingly wholehearted and absent of gimmicks, and we view his method for insight in directing others (as follows):
  2. Learning To DIRECT God's People EFFECTIVELY To Do God's Will, 1 Chronicles 28:1-29:30.
    1. As the time drew nigh for David to die, he realized he needed to direct and motivate his son, Solomon, and all of Israel's leaders and people under Solomon to fulfill God's will and thus to build God's temple.
    2. Accordingly, David called the nation together, including Solomon, the leaders under him and the people, and bared his soul as a great and moving example of individual dedication regarding doing God's will:
      1. To direct God's people effectively, David summoned all levels of leadership in his administration unto him, including the next king, his son, Solomon, so he could address them, 1 Chronicles 28:1.
      2. Then, the aged David stood up on his feet, a sign of great importance in what he wanted to say, 28:2a.
      3. Next, David bared his soul before his people to reveal God's gracious work in his own life, 28:2b-7:
        1. The aged David told the crowd how he had wanted to build the temple, but that God had refused his wish, saying David had been a man of war and so would not be allowed to build the temple, 28:2-3.
        2. Nevertheless, David humbly revealed how God had graciously chosen his tribe of Judah, his father's house and them himself out of his father's older sons (1 Samuel 16:6-13) to be king in Israel, 28:4.
        3. Finally, God had graciously chosen Solomon out of all of David's many other sons to be the next king of GOD'S realm of Israel who would also then construct God's temple, 1 Chronicles 28:5-6.
        4. David also noted that God promised to establish Solomon's kingdom forever if he was faithful to heed the commandments of God as Israel's king, 1 Chronicles 28:7.
      4. Based on this candid, humble testimony, David charged his son, Solomon in the presence of God and all of Israel's leaders to heed the Lord that he might be blessed, and boldly to build the temple, 28:8-10.
      5. David then gave Solomon the plans for the temple, plans that God had given to David himself by way of special revelation as he wrote down God's directions, 1 Chronicles 28:11-21, esp. 1 Chron. 28:19!
      6. Having given Solomon these temple plans from God, David turned back to the throng before him and his son, Solomon to report how, in view of Solomon's lack of administrative experience, David had himself provided all the materials needed for the temple out of his own assets, 1 Chronicles 29:1, 2-5b.
    3. Based on this testimony of his own wholehearted dedication of his own assets for the temple construction, David asked the assembly to follow his lead and give of their own wealth for the temple building, 29:5c.
    4. The assembled group was moved by the aged, wholehearted king's testimony and godly example, and so spontaneously followed him in giving heartily of their own goods for the temple, 1 Chronicles 29:6-8.
    5. In fact, the giving response was so free and bountiful, the people rejoiced, leading to David's responsive rejoicing before God, 1 Chronicles 29:9.
    6. David followed this expression by blessing the group and giving a dedicatory prayer to God, 29:10-19.
    7. He then turned to the crowd, calling the people to join him in worshiping the Lord, a call that produced a tremendous response as 3,000 animals were sacrificed unto the Lord by the throng, 1 Chronicles 29:20-21.
    8. This worship led to a great feast and a second, formal coronation of Solomon as king and the anointing of Zadok to be the chief priest, 1 Chronicles 29:22.
    9. Thus, Israel enjoyed great blessing and unity so that David's passing came at a time of blessing, 29:23-30.
Lesson: To direct God's people WELL, David (1) WHOLEHEARTEDLY LIVED a GODLY life, and (2) WHOLEHEARTEDLY TESTIFIED about that LIFE to (3) CALL others EFFECTIVELY to FOLLOW his lead in doing God's will regarding the construction of the temple.

Application: May we EFFECTIVELY lead others by (1) LIVING in WHOLEHEARTED OBEDIENCE to God followed by (2) TESTIFYING of this fact and (3) URGING others to FOLLOW! (1 Peter 5:1-4)