David:The Shepherd King, #15
Lord of All: Part 2
Click here to view Part 1
2 Samuel 5:1-25
By Dave Redick
Hwy 20 Church of Christ, Sweet Home, OR

"Let me see if I can make that a little clearer with an illustration. Suppose you had a thousand acre farm and someone offered to buy it. You agree to sell the land except for one acre right in the middle that you keep for yourself. Did you know that in some areas, so called "grandfather laws" would allow you to have continued access to that one spot? And you would also have the right to build a road across the surrounding property in order to get to that spot, even though the property doesn't belong to you. That is how it is when we make less than a 100 percent surrender to Christ's lordship. Satan only holds a small plot of ground in our lives, but because of it, he has free access at any time he wants it."

Introduction

A man once stood up in an assembly of Christians in England and told of the great blessings that he had received at a certain conference he had attended the week before. When asked to speak more specifically about what he had experienced, he said, "Well, I can say this: I was a Christian before I went. Christ was my king, but I am afraid He was a constitutional sovereign and I was a Prime Minister. In this country the queen gets the praise, but the Prime Minister runs the country. As a result of the conference, He now runs the country."

That story illustrates one way in which we can be deceived in thinking Christ is Lord of our lives when He really isn't. Since such deception is possible, it makes sense for us to carefully examine ourselves from time to time regarding this and see where we stand. Our aim is to do that in this message.

We will be taking our lesson today from II Samuel 5.

In order to get to chapter 5 we have skipped over some significant events in the narrative of Scripture. Allow me to fill them in for you just briefly. We left off last time with Abner's defection to David and his promise to bring all of Israel over to David's side and make him king over the entire nation. Abner never lived to see that happen. David's commander, Joab, murdered him. Joab's reason for the murder was the avenging of the death of his brother, Asahel, the young upstart runner we met back in chapter 2. David managed to deflect the accusations of the people of Israel by stating that Joab had acted without his knowledge, which was true. He then dismissed Joab from his position as captain of the army. In chapter 4, we read how Saul's son, Ish-bosheth was also murdered by two self-seeking commanders of his own army as he lay in his bed. David ordered their execution when he learned of that capital offense. Ish-bosheth was given a decent burial next to the grave of Abner. At last the way was cleared for David to ascend the throne over all Israel. The description of David becoming king over all the land is what we will consider in this message.

In the message last time we saw David ascend the throne of only a portion of Israel - the tribe of Judah. He reigned in Hebron. I drew from that a parallel between David's partial rule over Israel and the tendency of some of us to allow Christ only partial rule over our lives. In this message I will pursue that theme a bit further. We are going to talk about what it is like for a person to allow christ total sovereignty in his/her life. If we can see that, perhaps we will be able to better examine ourselves and avoid the deception I mentioned earlier.

I hope, by the way, that you have allowed Christ to take His rightful position in your life and that He is the undisputed ruler and King there. Not only is such total lordship of Christ the only way to the abundant life the Bible talks about, it is also the only gateway into eternal life with God.

Well, what happens when Jesus is absolute ruler of a life? What are some of the indicators? We're going to ask and answer that question by looking at what happened when David became king over all Israel. The similarities are striking. Watch for the answers as we go through the passage.

(Read v. 1-3)

So at last David's time to reign has come! All Israel is bringing him their loyalty. Few monarchs would ever be so loved and adored as David was. Part of that was because of David's fighting ability and his administrative genius. But part of it was also because he could so closely identify with his people in every aspect of human suffering and extremity. David didn't have the throne handed to him on a silver platter. We have seen rather, how he came to it through exile, loneliness, despair, long delays, terrible abuse, and spiritual struggle. David could sympathize with one who was struggling because he had been a fellow struggler. The common man on the street could come into the presence of David with his problems and have the confidence that he would be understood and given a fair hearing.

When a person accepts the lordship of christ, it is true likewise that he is accepting the rule of one who understands what it is like to struggle and feel weakness. He can come into the presence of the Son of God, not with the fear and trepidation of a peasant in the presence of potentate, but rather, with confidence, even when he has failed and needs mercy and grace. Hebrews 4:15-16 says,

"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace and help in the time of need."

What happens when one makes Jesus lord of his/her life? He accepts the rule of an understanding King, one who is merciful and gracious. Such a ruler is not cause for dread and fear, but for confidence and joy.

Every time I see a Christian whose countenance looks like he has been weaned on sour pickles or who is so fearful of God's wrath that he is of little use to the kingdom, I find myself wondering what that person was taught about Christ. If you have the idea that accepting the lordship of Christ in your life is a dreadful or a fearful thing, then you have missed the boat in your understanding of Jesus, somewhere.

Listen to the following story and see if it doesn't illustrate what I mean. This really happened. A 40-year-old man wrote it:

"I learned to swim in boyhood, but it was only this summer that I achieved complete mastery of myself in the water. For 30 years I had assumed that I must constantly struggle to keep from sinking. Then one day an expert swimmer watched me for a few minutes and said, 'Stop fighting the water and trust it to hold you up. Use your strength to move ahead.' Under his direction a few moments sufficed to convince me he was right. I lay flat in the water without moving hands or feet and to my delight, it held me up! Then I struck out, using my strength to forge ahead. What a revelation! Why didn't someone tell me this years ago?"

Listen, Jesus can hold you up. You don't have to fight Him. You don't have to be afraid of Him. And He is willing. He died to prove it! Use your strength to forge ahead and do something productive for Him!

Well, some chronology comes next in verses 4 and 5.

(Read v. 4-5)

So, David was 37 years old when he took the throne over the whole country.

Now, pay close attention to David's first act of state as the new king. He did the same thing that Jesus does when He is crowned king in your life.

(Read v. 6-7)

Those of you familiar with Old Testament history are probably aware that Jerusalem, up until this time, had been a thorn in Israel's side. No one had ever been able to fully conquer it. From the days of Joshua it had remained an enemy stronghold, perched on a hill on the border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. So smug were its inhabitants, the Jebusites, in their confidence in defending it, that they actually mocked David when he announced that he was going to take it. That is the significance of those words in verse 6: "You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame shall turn you away." In other words, "We're so confident here that even the blind and lame citizens of the city could defend us." Well, why not? They had made good on their boast for hundreds of years! But the conquest that had baffled the Israelites throughout their whole history came amazingly easy once David became king. He took the city in short order.

We are asking what it is like when a person accepts the lordship of Christ over his/her whole life and here is another parallel: David's first act of sovereignty was to take the stronghold of Jerusalem, the strategic city that had been dominated by the enemy. From there he would reign. Christ's first act of sovereignty once he becomes Lord is to take the stronghold of our selfish will that has been inhabited by the enemy. From there He will reign.

Those of you who are Christians, have you ever noticed that once you became a Christian, you began to be able to overcome things that had up until that point baffled you? You see when the enemy occupied the Jerusalem of your life, he just mocked your efforts to change. All of your good intentions and New Year's resolutions flopped again and again. You may have finally given up trying because failure just mocked you like the Jebusites mocked David. Then Christ came in and drove the enemy out of that place and now, as you look back, you are amazed at what has happened. Your efforts along with Christ's lordship have brought about real and lasting change.

"But," someone may say, "I don't see that kind of change in my life. It didn't work that way for me and I've been in the church for years."

Perhaps the reason for that is that you have never given the Lord free reign to really cast the enemy out. The Jebusites still control Jerusalem! Israel was totally unsuccessful against the Jebusites until they gave David total reign over the whole country. You, too, will be powerless against the enemy of your soul and his stubborn hold on your will until you surrender the center of your will fully to the sovereignty of Christ.

"But how will I know when I have really surrendered to the Lordship of Christ?"

You will know it when you cease opposing Him in what He wants to do in your life. When you finally stop making excuses for your "weaknesses" and start calling them what He does - sin. When you finally cease arguing with those who rebuke you and begin to listen and consider whether what they keep telling you might be true. When you finally quit blaming and pointing the finger at the problems of others and start pointing it at the only one whom you have the potential to change: Yourself.

When a couple comes for marriage counsel and each one does nothing but tell all the faults of their mate and really doesn't take it seriously when asked about their behavior, You know you are dealing with someone who has not given Christ the permission to reign in all things. One who accepts Christ's lordship will not be content in the false security that he/she is doing more to make the relationship work than the partner, therefore they are justified in their own disobedience. They won't fall back on the lame excuse that says, "If my partner would just do better, then I would do better, but until then, I'm justified in my lousy attitude."

You see, before there can be real change, Christ must deal with the enemy that still controls the center of your will. You must give Him permission to take the stronghold of Jerusalem in your life. Until you do that, expect to fail, because you will again and again.

David's strategy for taking the city was fairly simple.

(Read v. 8)

I Chronicles 11:4 tells us that David offered the job of chief commander that had been vacated by Joab when he murdered Abner, to the first one who got into the city. Apparently they sneaked in through some sort of an underground water tunnel. Joab was the first to get into the city, so he got his old job back.

(Read v. 9-10)

You see, once David possessed the stronghold of Jerusalem, he didn't just stop there. He began to expand his influence and rule over "greater and greater" areas of Israel. He attacked and subdued other areas of enemy occupation. We are asking the question of what it is like when Christ is given permission to rule and reign over the entire life of a Christian. Here we have another answer: Just as David expanded his influence to greater and greater areas of the kingdom, so Christ will expand his influence to greater and greater areas of your life. He won't be content with just a victory or two.

I suppose the application of those words is this: If Christ is Lord of your life, there will be a progression of victories that will become evident. As time goes on you will see more and more times when the enemy is cast out of the cities of your life. In the practical sense, we call such progression Christian growth. The Christian life is not static. It doesn't hold still. It moves. It progresses. You grow. If you aren't growing, then something is wrong. Either Christ isn't lord of your life, or perhaps you've forgotten that He is supposed to be.

When Israel crowned David, no one questioned whether or not there was a king in Israel. He made his presence known. So will Christ. If you have to wonder whether He's there, then there is a problem. If He is there, there will be results in time.

(Read v. 11-12)

What we see happening here is that the presence of David on the throne in Jerusalem is beginning to be felt by those outside the boarders of Israel. The King of Tyre figures he'd better make his peace with David early. In the same way, when Christ is on the throne of the will of your life, it isn't long until those around you begin to notice. And I'm referring to those around you who are outside the church.

Jesus taught that "A city set upon a hill cannot be hidden." If Christ rules in your life, others will begin to notice it. I seriously question the condition of a person who has worked or lived in the same place for years and none of his neighbors or co-workers know he is a Christian. Can such a one have Christ as ruler in his life? David wasn't a low profile ruler! Neither is "the Son of David!" He makes His presence known!

(Read v. 13-16)

Well, after all of these good parallels between David and Christ, I really hated to read those verses because they speak once again of David's polygamy. I'm not going to go into that again. If you were not here for the last message and are troubled with this matter of polygamy in the life of David, get the tape or manuscript of last Sunday's message.

(Read v. 17-18)

Until now the Philistines had been able to get whatever they wanted from Israel. But suddenly they realized that unless they put a stop to it, Israel would unite behind one leader and throw off their dominance. So they immediately moved to challenge David.

You see, once a person crowns Christ as ruler of his life, Satan, who has up until now had dominance and free passage, sees that unless he moves quickly he will lose his place. So, if Christ has come to rule in your life, Satan will immediately challenge that rule by opposing it in some way. Expect opposition.

How about this issue of Christ's lordship? Has Satan ever opposed you or attacked you? He will if there is something there in you worth opposing.

We need to recognize that contrary to being an indicator that something is wrong, sometimes opposition and trouble are indicators that things are right and that Jesus does indeed sit on the throne of our lives. Satan doesn't oppose what he already owns. But let Christ supplant Him and He is going to make some waves in your life!

(Read v. 19-21)

A great victory for David! But notice the Philistines didn't give up after one defeat. They withdrew, but soon they were back.

(Read v. 22)

When christ rules in a life there will be victory but there will also be continued opposition to that rule. You really should expect it and never let down your guard. Satan may leave, but he will also be back.

Satan doesn't care if you go to church. He doesn't care if you give to the church and sing songs about Christ and learn all of the religious buzz words Christians use, as long as Christ doesn't rule your whole life. You are not a threat to him until that happens.

The Philistines didn't bother with mounting an all out offensive against David until the people made him ruler over the whole land. Then they mounted their offensive.

(Read v. 23)

Notice that God's instructions were different in this instance than it was in that of the first attack. That underscores the need to continue to seek the lord's will in your life. If Jesus is your lord, then he will continue to reveal new truth to you as you need it. Don't be content to run on yesterday's truth. Had David done that he would have mounted another frontal attack and probably have been defeated. I see many of our brethren who are still stuck on the "first principles" of the faith, constantly rehearsing the elementary things and going no further. Now we never want to forget the first things, but God also wants us to grow up!

(Read v. 24-25)

What a tremendous difference David's ruling over all Israel made! When Saul reigned, the Philistines couldn't be stopped. When Ish-bosheth reigned along with David, the Philistines still proved invincible. Only when David ruled supreme could the enemy be defeated. Only when Christ reigns supreme in your life, over every part, will you see the kind of true and lasting victory that god intends.

Let me see if I can make that a little clearer with an illustration. Suppose you had a thousand acre farm and someone offered to buy it. You agree to sell the land except for one acre right in the middle that you keep for yourself. Did you know that in some areas, so called "Grandfather laws" would allow you to have continued access to that one spot? And you would also have the right to build a road across the surrounding property in order to get to that spot, even though the property doesn't belong to you. That is how it is when we make less than a 100 percent surrender to Christ's lordship. Satan only holds a small plot of ground in our lives, but because of it, he has free access at any time he wants it.

Is that what you want? If not, then you're going to have to give that last portion of property over to Christ. It is the only way that Satan can be excluded from his solid position in your life.

Conclusion

Let's sum up what has been said. If Christ rules in your life:

1. You will realize that He is an understanding King. You don't have to fight Him. He wants to hold you up.

2. He will have your permission to conquer the stronghold of your will if He is Lord.

3. He will be expanding His influence to many areas of your life.

4. His presence will begin to be known outside the circle of Christians.

5. Satan will oppose you.

6. Satan will oppose you again.

7. You will be ever growing in new truth.

8. You will, over the long haul, see true and lasting victory in your life.

Is He Lord of all?

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

[Archive]    [Home]   [Comments]   [Search]