0:00 Let's go to first Kings chapter three together. And as you turn there, maybe you're already there. The last verse of chapter two reminds us that in chapter three, we are following the dramatic events of how the kingdom of Israel was secured under the control of Solomon. And those events that led to the security of the kingdom detailed how Solomon removed four particular individuals who were direct threats and rebels against the cause of God. And it was really an illustration for us to see how as individual believers in Christ, we also have the call to neutralize sinful attitudes and mindsets if you and I want to enjoy and guard the peace that the Lord promises us.
0:55 And that fundamental truth for practical holiness will now be built upon with the lessons of this new chapter. Chapter three is going to be a window for us to see how Solomon now will advance the kingdom after he has dealt with the obstacles to his kingdom. This is a bright new day for the nation of Israel, especially with the promise that was given to David concerning his son, how under his leadership there would be unusual prosperity and unusual serenity. And with this in view, we eagerly await to see how Solomon will usher in this reality. And so we read the first few verses of chapter three together.
1:44 Verse one reads, Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. The people were sacrificing at the high places. However, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord. Solomon loved the Lord.
2:11 Walking in the statutes of David his father. Only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there. For that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
2:33 Lord, help us see your glory. Help us hear your voice. Help us be transformed and conformed to the image of your son. Help us know the joy and the peace that comes from loving your law. In Jesus' name we pray.
2:51 Amen. The kingdom was secured in the hand of Solomon. What is about to happen? Oh, the possibilities are endless. Oh, the pathway to peace is now clear.
3:06 And verse one is pretty anticlimactic, isn't it? Because the first thing that you and I read about Solomon's decisions early in his reign is that he makes a marriage alliance with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Question for you tonight, students of the Old Testament, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Bad. Good.
3:29 You know your Old Testament well. There are various reasons why this decision that Solomon made was a grave mistake. This is a disobedient act. This is prohibited by God. And there is one other subjective reason why this is wrong.
3:48 Why would Solomon need to make a political alliance with Pharaoh? What was Solomon promised by God? What was promised to David concerning Solomon? What was going to be something that this government was to enjoy? Peace.
4:11 Not just internally but peace with what? The surrounding nations. Solomon did not need to do this, but he does it. He does it anyway. And it makes you wonder why he would do this.
4:28 Why would he make this decision? And you get the feeling that Solomon himself knew that he was going against the will of God by pursuing this. What's the impression that you get from how you read verse one that would give you that kind of a clue? Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David.
4:53 What's the next word? Until until he had finished building his own house in the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. Bad decision, but we still have Solomon here with somewhat of a sensitive conscience for now. For now. When it comes to first Kings chapter nine, and you could turn there to see what I mean.
5:16 Solomon chooses to do something with Pharaoh's daughter that's quite insightful. In first Kings nine verse 24, what does it mean that he brought her into the city of David until he had finished building what he needed to build? It says here in first Kings nine twenty four, but Pharaoh's daughter went up from the city of David to her own house that Solomon had built for her, then he built the Myloam. So Solomon completes the building of the house of the Lord. He completes the different edifices that he needed to complete.
5:48 And from there, he removes the daughter of Pharaoh to a distant place. The reason I believe he does this is because he understands that in marrying pharaoh, who was not just a foreigner the problem is not that she was a foreigner, she was an idol worshiper. She was a pagan. He did not want her immediate presence to be a defiling thing once the holy things of God were established. He understood that having her in close proximity was a problem.
6:21 And so he even premeditatedly. Right? He thought about this before, I will marry her and when it comes to doing what God called me to do and establishing and centralizing a place of worship, I will now remove her. I will remove her. And so he knew that there was something wrong with this even before.
6:42 And he might have excused this marriage as a political alliance, but he understood that down deep inside, this was a violation to the wisdom of God. And Solomon will show us down the road that how once a soft and delicate conscience can become hard and unfeeling. Something that might have bothered you at one point may not bother you at all later on. And I'm sure that Solomon had more reasons to justify why he did this. Was his father the best example to him in how to marry a woman?
7:17 No. Not only did David have many wives, he married a foreigner. Absalom's mom, according to second Samuel three three, was a foreigner. And who is seeing all of this? Who understands the history of his own father?
7:31 Solomon surely. And although David told Solomon near the end of his life, follow, cling, walk in the statutes and the ways of the Lord, it's very difficult to convey conviction, even godly conviction, true conviction upon somebody when you yourself are not even convinced of that same conviction. It holds no authority. It has no grip. Ultimately, it has very little influence.
7:59 And this is what we're seeing here. If David had just repented. If he had, in exhorting him to walk in the ways of God, also said, listen, I I made a mistake in how I viewed woman. I made a mistake in how I viewed God's design for marriage. Perhaps Solomon would have been influenced for the better, but there is no such thing recorded in the Word of God.
8:21 Just a general exhortation. Walk in the ways of God. And what does he what does he do? The first thing he does is he marries an idol worshiper. He justifies it.
8:33 He knows it's wrong. There's tension. He comes up with a plan to excuse it, but it will prove to be the beginning of many more mistakes in this area as you know. It doesn't end there. Look at verse two now.
8:47 The people were sacrificing at the high places. However, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord. And then you read in verse three that Solomon loved the Lord, except that he also worshiped at the high places. Worship at the high places, good or bad. Tell me why.
9:09 We know that marrying pharaoh's daughter is wrong. Tell me why worshiping at the high places is wrong. This is how this is how the false gods were worshiped. There was a sense in which the higher you were, geographically speaking, the closer you were to these deities. And so they would put these stations where you would worship God, and that you would try to have a closer link to him in such a way.
9:43 Not only that, it is directly denied by God himself. He commanded against this very practice. And if you wanna see that, you have to go to the law itself in Deuteronomy twelve thirteen and fourteen. In Deuteronomy twelve thirteen and fourteen, the Lord says that you shall not worship. You shall not sacrifice at the place that you choose, but at the place that the Lord will choose.
10:06 That is where you will worship. And we discovered that that place was early on the tabernacle. It would later on be the temple itself. But when you read this, you see that the people worship at the high places. And the explanation for this kind of worship is here found in verse two, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.
10:30 In other words, there wasn't a localized official house of worship at this point in Israel's history. There were two places that the furnishings of the house of God were placed. What was the first place? Anybody remember? There is one place that most of the furnishings of the tabernacle were, and there was another place where one specific article was placed.
10:52 You find it later on in the same chapter. The one place is Gibeon. The one place is Gibeon, where you had the altar and everything else pretty much, and there was the Ark of the Covenant that David brought to where? Jerusalem. He brought it to the city of David.
11:09 And so things are kind of scattered, and this was a way to justify the worship at high places. And it seems as though the author is excusing what they're doing until you come to verse three, and you read about Solomon who loved the Lord, and then he says here he walked he was walking in the statute of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. So Solomon is criticized for this. He's criticized. So then when you come back to verse two, you have to understand, well, if Solomon is criticized then clearly it can't be justified.
11:45 Clearly here we have something of a of of a mystery of how is it that you have the people that are worshiping at high places and it seems to be excused. And then Solomon does it but he's not excused? Well, my conviction is that the people are not excused. If Solomon is condemned, then so are the people. If Solomon is in the wrong, then so are the people.
12:05 And it could be that Solomon as the king led that example, And so the blame was put on him. And it could also mean that although Solomon was commissioned to build the house of God, perhaps he was not as urgent as he needed to be to build the house of God. Yes. He does it very soon, but perhaps this is an indication that he should have been much more urgent in commencing that project. And because of somewhat of a delay, it gave room for the people to sacrifice at the high places.
12:38 It's a thought to consider. One thing that is clear though is that Solomon Solomon is in the wrong in the way he worships here. But we're told he loved the Lord. Solomon loved the Lord only. He worshiped and sacrificed at the high places.
13:00 How do we make sense of this? We can't deny he loved the Lord, but based on the evidence presented, it was not a wholehearted love. It was a rudimentary commitment, but it was not a complete and consuming one. And we all know what Solomon's final spiritual state will be like in first Kings, but many people don't know how it all began. You know where Solomon's fall begins?
13:33 Right here, first Kings chapter three. There are there are already cracks at the foundation of his faith. Solomon here, yes, he he has this love for God, but he's not very careful with the law of God. Here's what I wanna tell you tonight. The person who is not careful with the word of God today will not be prepared for the temptations that await him tomorrow.
14:03 He's not careful. He he is not wholeheartedly walking. He loves the Lord, but there are certain things in his life that he is permitting. Is it possible for a person to have affection for the Lord and still allow compromise in their lives? And perhaps you know somebody, perhaps you even said this, you know, that person loves God, but they're doing these things that seem to contradict that love.
14:33 That devotion, that conviction. And you can almost imagine what Solomon is thinking when he made these decisions. Okay. Yes. I'm marrying Pharaoh's daughter, but once it comes to the point where, you know, we get serious with this thing, then I'll remove her and she won't be a problem.
14:50 She'll be, you know, out of sight, out of mind. I know we're not supposed to worship at the high places, but it's just for now. It's just for now. Once we have the temple set up, we'll we'll we'll not see these high places anymore. They'll become vacant.
15:05 They'll collect cobbles. Is that what happens in first Kings? Do the high places go away? Or did they become a perpetual problem for generations to come? They do.
15:15 When you find yourself having an inner dialogue like that with clear sins, understand that this is the language of compromise. When you begin to put terms and conditions for blatant disobedience, oh, I'll only go this far and I'll only stay here that long and then I'll walk away and then I'll stop and then I'll do right. That is a setup for potential devastation for your life. So when you hear those thoughts and you have that kind of conversation with yourself, understand and remember Solomon. And we see here what happens next.
16:01 And the king went to Gibeon in verse four to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. A thousand? A thousand of them. And now look what happens.
16:18 At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ask what I shall give you. You can't disassociate this manifestation and this exciting opportunity that God grants to Solomon and the sacrifices that he made leading up to it. Solomon makes this great display and demonstration of devotion to the Lord, and clearly, it moves the Lord in a way to visit Solomon in in this manner and to invite him into this very awesome opportunity. Why is that important for us to know? It's it's a lesson to show us that God considers your devotion to him.
17:05 He considers your sacrifice to him. He considers what you give him, what you don't give him. And it would be unfair for me to say that just because we are all children of God by faith that we all experience God's blessings in the same way. That's just false. It would be equally unfair and not right for me to say that your devotional life doesn't impact how God may manifest himself, use you, do things in and through you.
17:39 God really does look and consider how we draw nearer to him. What we do for him. He he he understands that. He calculates that, and it moves him. So this is an exciting thing.
17:54 This is not a condemning thing. This is a picture of many pictures that God is a personal being, and how we communicate our love to him, namely through what he demands of us, really can determine how we experience him. And this is where we kind of feel tension. Right? Because we just learned that Solomon made made questionable decisions, very questionable decisions, and yet God still chooses to not only manifest himself, but say, ask what I shall give you.
18:23 How does that make sense? How does somebody who we just read here make these very very concerning decisions get an opportunity like that? Well all I can say is that though Solomon had made questionable decisions at this time, at this point, in this moment, he is desperate. He is desperate, and he is humbling himself. And God in his grace is willing to consider how Solomon is unloading his heart and will respond accordingly.
18:56 Because as you're gonna find out, Solomon himself will even admit, I don't know what I'm doing here. I don't know what I'm doing here. So at the same time, there is an aspect of God's grace here that he can even meet us. He can he can communicate to us. He can visit us when we're not all together there.
19:15 Another example that comes to mind is Jacob. Jacob is on the run. Jacob just finished deceiving his father, deceiving his brother, and who shows up while Jacob has his head on a pillow, which was really a stone? God. God.
19:33 And the Lord now comes to Solomon, and he makes this incredible statement. Ask ask what I shall give you. Not only is this an invitation, it's a test. It's a test. This test is gonna reveal what's in Solomon's heart.
19:55 What you desire reveals a lot about you. What you long for says a lot about who you are. What you pray for determines a lot about your inner man as well. Not what you pray for in a public meeting. A lot of people have mastered how to pray right in public meetings.
20:17 They know the right things to say. What you pray for when you're alone. How you relate to prayer, when you run to prayer says, in large part, a lot about our heart posture towards God. Well, if the Lord were to ask you tonight as you lay your head on your pillow and there's a special visitation from him, and he says, ask what I shall give you, what would you answer with? What comes to mind right now?
20:44 Right now? Dollar signs, dude? Ask what I shall give you. And Solomon here is going to answer that. And with that in mind, look at verse 10 quickly.
21:01 Because whatever Solomon asked for, it brought about this result. Verse 10, it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. It pleased the Lord. It moved, God. It satisfied God that Solomon presented a certain request.
21:20 And if you and I desire to please God, then we will consider not only what Solomon asked for, but the manner in which he asked it. There are components here, ingredients here, that make this prayer so powerful as a model of how we can know a fragrance and a fruitfulness in our communion with God that can assure us his heart being pleased. You know, Paul prayed an amazing prayer to the Colossians. It was one of the first prayers that I memorized as a Christian. It's in Colossians one nine to 10.
21:53 You don't have to turn there unless you want to, but this is what he says. And so from the day we have heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with all spiritual wisdom and knowledge. In verse 10, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, check this out, fully pleasing to Him. He didn't just say pleasing to Him. Fully pleasing to him.
22:21 The n s b NASB says, pleasing him in all respects. That's what Paul was asking for the Colossian church. I'm praying that you would be completely in all respects, from head to toe, in all your engagements, all your activities, all your plans, all your relationships, that it would ultimately please God. You know, a lot of professing Christians wanna please God at the bare minimum. Please God just enough that you don't get in trouble with him.
22:57 That's not the kind of thing that Paul is asking for, that you would be fully pleasing to him. That's the heartbeat of a spirit filled Christian. Lord, I want I don't want there to be one sliver of my life that would grieve the Holy Spirit. Not one. The way I talk, what I allow here, what I allow here, what I do with this, what I do with this, what I do with this.
23:22 I don't want there to be one area of my life that's not pleasing to you. I want to be fully pleasing to you. And so if that's our desire, then let's consider Solomon's prayer. Let's consider some of the ingredients that made this pleasing to God. Yes.
23:37 It was ultimately what he asked for, but I'm sure there are many things about how he asked. So let's read this, and I want you to point things out. Look at verse six, and Solomon said, you have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, oh Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father.
24:12 Although I am but a little child, I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this, your great people? It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
24:39 I love that. Please the Lord. Well, what stands out to you from these verses? Yes. He's starting with thanksgiving.
24:53 My brother, you got it. Yes. You know what's fascinating? The Lord said, ask what I shall give you. What does he then do?
24:59 Well, Lord, I want this and I want that. Does he do that immediately? Or does he pause? And yet that is actually point number one. I have three that come to mind.
25:08 Three clear concrete. The first thing that he does is he acknowledges God's faithfulness and authorship. He acknowledges God's faithfulness and authorship. Notice the attribution here of God's steadfast love. Solomon said, you have shown great love.
25:26 You have shown great love. Sorry, great and steadfast love to your servant David my father. And then he goes on to say what? The second part, you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to set on his own. You have.
25:40 You have. You have. Given. Given. Given.
25:44 Lord, you're the reason why my father was successful. You're You're the reason why he was able to do what he was able to do as a king. And so this is David here, this is Solomon here rather looking to the Lord and identifying his mercies and crowning him with praise because of it. And that is a that is a factor in our communication to God and with God, our communion with God that is that can't be forgotten. Worship.
26:13 Worship. Prayer is not merely petitioning. There's praise in it. There's looking to the Lord and lifting your heart to him and saying, Lord, this is who you are. Not because God forgot and he needs your lesson, but it's an expression of adoration.
26:36 And it blesses him, and it puts things into perspective for you. Thanksgiving is not optional in how we relate to the Lord. It's actually commanded. Thanksgiving is commanded. In fact, the psalmist says in Psalm 100 verse four, enter his gates with thanksgiving.
26:50 I mean, enter his gates meaning your introduction in a sense should be in the front part of your mind, You should not even consider it as a as a last thing, as a forgotten thing, but as a primary factor of how you relate to the Lord. Thanking him. Thanking him. Paul told Timothy in first Timothy two, this every time I look at this scripture, it always convicts me because Paul is telling Timothy how to run a church. And one of the first thing that he tells him to do is have a prayer meeting.
27:20 What kind of priority do you think prayer meetings have in many churches today? First Timothy two one. I want you to see this. He gives different categories of what a prayer meeting, a public prayer meeting should include. And he says here, I urge you.
27:33 I urge you. This is urgent. He didn't say at the end of the letter, oh, you know what? Timothy, I forgot. If you have time at the Sunday service, throw in a couple prayers.
27:43 That's not what he says. He says here, first of all first of all first of all, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and what? Thanksgivings. Thanksgivings. A church together collectively should know how to, with one voice, thank God.
28:07 We thank you Lord. We worship you Lord. We acknowledge you, Lord. We ascribe to you all exaltation, all honor. You're the one who's done all this, and this person's life, and our church's life, and my life.
28:21 So thanksgiving is included in that. And then look what he says in verse three of the same chapter, first Timothy two three. Why is one motivation to give thanksgiving among many reasons? This is good for it is what? It is pleasing in the sight of God.
28:37 It pleases to see His children, His servants, His redeemed thanking Him. If we wanna please God, if we have a personal relation to the Lord, I wanna please Him. You please the people you love. I wanna please him. Lord, if me giving you thanks pleases you, then so be it.
28:56 I will thank you. And Solomon models that not just by thanking him for what he's done in David's life, but acknowledging him for what he's done in his own life. Look at verse seven. And now, first Kings three. And now oh Lord, my God, you have made your servant.
29:11 You have made your servant king in place of David my father. You promoted me. What did his brother Adonai just say? Now I will exalt myself and be king. Right?
29:24 That's not what this man says. He says, you made me king. And so I recognize that the promotion that I enjoy today is a direct result of your goodness to me. I do not deserve this. And you know, Isaiah tells us that there are three things that the Lord considers when he looks favorably upon a person.
29:47 It's very common passage of scripture in Isaiah 66 verse two. What does Isaiah say by the spirit that the Lord does when he looks upon somebody? What does he look for before he looks upon them? There's three things. Anybody remember?
30:06 It says here, He who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Trembles at my word. But he says, contrite in spirit. You know what that Hebrew word contrite is? It's the same word used to describe somebody who is lame in their feet.
30:27 Somebody who is paralyzed. Somebody who is crippled and can't walk. That's the same word you're used to say, contrite in spirit. So what Isaiah is saying is, the Lord looks upon one who is humble and lame in spirit. In other words, disabled.
30:44 Incapable. Admitting their inability to do anything and achieve anything. When a person confesses that they are in such a place, that is where God looks and sees and considers and is ready to move favorably. I'm paralyzed. I'm paralyzed in the innermost part of who I am to perform anything of value, anything of fruit, anything effective.
31:10 I can't. In the same way that a person who is crippled can walk, I can't do what you've called me to do. And what's so fascinating about Solomon's posture here is because he already has the throne. It's been given to him. And not only that, he's even been told very nice things about his ability and he didn't even consider it.
31:31 Do you know Solomon was commended in a certain way? He was praised in a certain way by probably the most important person on earth that he can receive any commendation from, his father. His father said something to him right before he died, and it didn't get to Solomon's head. What did he tell his son Solomon when he instructed him to remove those rebels that posed a threat to his kingdom? If you don't remember, go there in first Kings.
32:03 And look here in chapter two in verse nine. This is David speaking to his son, now therefore do not hold them guiltless, this is what he says to his son. For you are what? For you are a wise man. You're a wise man, Solomon.
32:28 That's a compliment. If you get that from a man after God's heart, if you get that from King David, I'm a wise man. I am a wise man. Is that what Solomon says to God? What does he say to God?
32:46 He says, although I am but a little child, I don't know how to go out or come in. He did He didn't take that too far into consideration. He knew who he he was. He knew that he was incompetent. He he was lacking experience, that he was immature to an extent to lead this great people.
33:08 So he comes before the Lord. Lord, it doesn't matter what kind of authority I have here on earth, the position, the ability that I I have access to. It doesn't matter even what my father said. God, God, you need to bless me. I need your touch on my life.
33:27 I need your enablement. I need your favor. I need your grace. And this is what God is moved by. This is what God sees a man so aware of his neediness.
33:41 I will move in your life. I will answer. This pleases me when you acknowledge the reality of your inadequacy. So it's more than just passionate pleasing and persistent prayer not being known unless we believe God is the author of all the blessings that we enjoy. Number two, it's admitting your need neediness.
34:02 Not just acknowledging his faithfulness and his goodness, but admitting your neediness over and over and over in all things at all times. This is who God looks to. The one who is lame in spirit. The one who doesn't get puffed up by what they've done with their hands, how they arise somewhere, what even people say about him. It doesn't matter.
34:24 I can't preach this if you don't help me. I can't go up there and say anything of worth until you help me. Despite the encouragement, despite despite what people say, Lord, if your hand is not upon me, then I'm like a little kid running around with a crown. I have no idea what I'm doing. I need your help, and that moves God.
34:52 I wonder if you parents pray like that with the babies that God has given you. Lord, you need to help me here. I wonder if you businessmen pray like that, or maybe you figured it all out. Right? Because you're so smart.
35:09 I wonder if you counselors feel like that before you enter into a room with somebody who has a case that perhaps you have seen and dealt with before, but still this is a person with unique qualities and unique circumstances. Lord, if you don't help me, I need you. I need you. I need you. That's what moved God's heart to come to the aid of a man.
35:31 But we see something else here. It's a third thing. Tell me if you can see it. Verse eight and nine of first Kings three, and your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen a great people too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people that I may discern between good and evil for who is able to govern this your great people.
35:56 The first thing is that he acknowledged God's faithfulness second thing is he see he's admitting his neediness and that he can't do this without God. And there's a third and last thing based on the two verses that we just read. What is it that stands out to you? Yes, brother. Yes.
36:27 Yes. Absolutely. Well you're you're you're nudging you're nudging us into that last part. Your people. Your people.
36:37 Your sir. Yes. Yes. That's right. So he's acknowledging God as God.
36:43 He's acknowledging himself as a servant, but in Let me give you a hint. In asking for a certain ability, what is his motive? There's a responsibility. Yes? He's asking for wisdom.
36:57 He's not asking for riches and will abide. Yes. Absolutely. He's asking for the right thing. It's one thing though to ask for the right thing.
37:05 It's another thing to ask for the right thing with the right motive. You ask, but you don't have, because what? In what you're asking for, you're desiring to satisfy your own passions. I can ask for the right thing and not get the answer, because in asking the right thing, I have the wrong desire and goal behind it. Solomon here is not just asking for wisdom.
37:29 It's something that we should all seek. But Solomon is asking it for a certain reason, and the reason is twofold. Our brother alluded to it. Your people. This isn't my people.
37:38 These are your people, God. And I feel the tremendous weight of that responsibility because if they're your people, then what I do to your people ultimately determines much more beyond my own life. Your people, they belong to you. It's your glory. I need your help.
37:55 Enable me for the sake of your people and ultimately your name. So the third thing is, asking God's gifts with the right motives. Not just the right things, the right motives. And if I look to the Lord and I ask him for things that are even prescribed in the Word of God, things that I have access to, then I also have to examine my own heart and say, why am I doing this? Why am I asking the Lord to empower me in a certain way?
38:30 Why am I asking the Lord to open opportunities? Why am I asking the Lord to provide me this or that? Because as James said, you can ask and not receive. And one of the reasons why you don't receive is because there are fleshly passions that are buried underneath that you are ultimately trying to quench, And God sees our hearts above all things. Do I want to be known as successful?
38:57 Do I want to be seen as a spiritual celebrity? Do I want to, through this answer in prayer, obtain respect, power, authority. You know, Paul in first Corinthians 14, he gave instructions to that church, a very gifted church, gifted in the supernatural. He gave him practical instructions of how two certain gifts should be operated in the local congregation. The gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy.
39:24 Everybody say, can't tongues? Talk about tongues, please. I'm not going to tongues. I want you to see a principle in those few verses to see something as a principle for how we seek the Lord for certain things. And Paul says in the context of the local assembly, if you're to seek after anything, seek after which gift?
39:44 Prophecy. Do you know the motive? Why? Why does Paul want the church who are very excited about the gifts? Why does he say, I need you if you want to.
39:56 I I want to channel your your passionate desire for these things, these manifestations of the spirit. I want you to pursue this particular gift because this is the result of that gift if it's operated rightly in an order. Does anybody know why? Very good. And if you don't know it, turn with me there.
40:13 First Corinthians 14. Let's look at verse three to verse five, and you will see Paul's repeated ambition in wanting the church to be equipped by the spirit in this way. And it tells me something about God's heart. If I am to be gifted, if I am to be empowered by him, for what reason? Well, let's look at it together.
40:32 Look at let's look at verse three and verse five with that context in mind. He says in first Corinthians 14 verse three, on the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. Keep upbuilding in mind. Look at verse four. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies does what?
40:56 Builds up the church. Number two. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues unless someone interprets so that the church would what? Maybe what?
41:13 Built up. Three times in three in three verses. Paul says, the reason why I want you to pursue this gift in the context of the assembling of the saints is so that you would build up your brothers and sisters. That they would be strengthened if the Holy Spirit is to gift you in a certain way. That they would be blessed.
41:34 That they would be stirred towards the Lord. That they may be edified. And I looked at that and I thought when I read this to myself I said, Lord, as I'm seeking because I Lord, I do want to serve you. I I I know you've called me to be present with other believers continually, but not just present, actively present. You've called me to serve my brothers and sisters in some capacity.
42:01 So Lord, do whatever you need to do me so that I can what? Fill in the blank. I can what? Then that's where we have to pause and say, why? Why am I asking the Lord to furnish me?
42:11 Why am I asking Lord to deposit something in me? What am I asking for the Lord? A spotlight Or for strength for my fellow brother, sister in Christ? Not spotlight for me, strength for them. I believe that's what moves God's heart.
42:32 That when he sees that your desire is, as Solomon said, Lord for the sake of your people not so that I can be known and praised as the wisest man. He didn't even entertain that idea of being known as the wisest man. Lord, for your people, I want them to see Christ in me. I want them to love Christ more because of me. You know a person who truly wants to be used by God will also ask God, Lord let me disappear as much as possible.
42:58 Empower me as much as you can empower me with, but help me be cloaked behind Christ as much as you can. I don't wanna be seen. I don't wanna be I don't wanna be sought after. I don't wanna be called upon in any way. I just wanna be an extension of your grace.
43:11 I've tasted and seen how good it is to know you, and I want other people to know you. And whatever you need to do in me for them to know you, let it be done. Let it be done. I'm persuaded that this is what pleases God when we ask him. Acknowledge his faithfulness.
43:29 Acknowledge his authorship. Admit your neededness and ask, yes, ask for those gifts, but ask with the right posture of heart. Surely, these are ingredients that we can find throughout the word of God that please the Lord. Notice one thing before we move on. It was God who said to him, ask what I shall give you, and then Solomon prayed.
43:54 It was Matthew Henry who said something quite insightful about this truth. God is the one who presented the invitation first and then that moved Solomon to pray. And what he said is that, the word of God excites prayer in our lives. If you want to be more excited about prayer, well, look at the promises of God for those who do pray. Because we look at this and we see that this is an isolated incidence.
44:18 Right? Ask what I shall give you. Almost like a genie that comes up to you and says, whatever you want, I'll give you. Do you really believe that the Lord was gonna give something outside of the parameters of his will to Solomon? No.
44:27 You have the same promises. Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be answered. Ask.
44:35 What do you know about God? What do you know about what God has done in his word? What do you know about what God is like? How he honors the prayers of men? What do you know about that that should cause you to say, I need to pray.
44:46 I must pray. How can I forfeit the blessings of prayer? Job tells us that it is the wicked who say, what profit do men have in praying? That's how the wicked think. Wicked people don't see the profit in praying.
45:01 If you you don't believe it, read Job 21. Not making it up. And so the word of God asked what I shall give you. It ignites something in the heart. It pulls on our hearts to come toward him in the place of prayer.
45:17 If it was true for Solomon in this one moment, how much more true with the full revelation of God's word that we have. I hope that you have a relationship with the word of God in such a way that sometimes when you read it, you burst out in praise. You know, there are moments where I read just in my I'm not preparing a sermon or anything. I'm just reading. And when I read the word, I find myself saying this from time to time.
45:37 I'm not being dishonest to saying that I say it all the time, but I find myself sometimes saying things and reading the scripture where I'm there quiet alone, and I go, wow. Wow. Just stunned and amazed by God's word. Stunned and amazed reminded of something that I've highlighted till I went to the next page, and yet I forgot it. And here I am because I'm reading through it again.
46:00 How did I forget this? Wow. Because of this, but also wow. Wow. Lord, you're amazing.
46:07 May he capture our affection again. And so we see here that he says, give your servant therefore an understanding mind. We read in Chronicles that he asked for wisdom in particular. And look at verse 11. And God said to him, because you've asked this and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right.
46:32 Behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind. So that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor so that no other king shall compare with you all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.
47:05 What does the Lord do? He gives even more than what he asked for. You know that the Lord can do that. Right? He asked for one thing, and he goes beyond the description of your prayer, beyond your request because that's just who he is.
47:16 He's good. And look what Solomon does in first Kings three fifteen. And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and made a feast for all his servants. Where was Solomon before?
47:34 When he sacrificed a thousand offerings, He was in Gibeon. God visits him and makes himself known to him, and then Solomon is moved to not go to Gibeon again, but to go to Jerusalem. Why would you go to Jerusalem? What was that Jerusalem? The Ark of the Covenant.
47:53 The Ark of the Covenant is at Jerusalem symbolizing God's presence. And it could be that Solomon was so moved by God's mercy and grace in granting him his request, promising him that he would be with him, that he didn't want to just be at Gibeon where he can offer something. He wanted to be near God himself, as close as he could. And what God offered for man to be close to him was the Ark of the Covenant. Though he might have been limited even in that, it was as close as he could get, which tells me something so wonderful about what happens, what should happen when the Lord dispenses something of himself should cause us to want to be closer to him.
48:34 That's what Solomon shows us here. If Solomon is already operating in wisdom, it's showing right here. That when God shows himself to be pure, good, and perfect as he is, and you get to taste that. Oh, let it draw you closer to him. Let it bring you closer to him.
48:56 Let it want you to be nearer to him. And Solomon here, doing what he should do in his worship, coming to the ark and loving him as close as he can, will be tested in the same chapter to see if this wisdom for the sake of God's people will really work. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for this Bible study, and we pray that the wisdom through your word would have been engraved, would have been knitted in our hearts and our minds. We ask, Lord, that we would give you the worship that you deserve because of your goodness.
49:34 That through Solomon's example, we would be motivated to come near to you and say, Lord, thank you for being so good to me. Thank you for leading me and providing for me. Thank you that where I am today is because of you. And so Lord, we just ask that you would receive this fragrant offering, this sacrifice of praise. Lord, for those who might be struggling in the area of prayer, may they remember that it is as simple as what we see here.
50:00 Just acknowledging you, admitting our need, and asking with the right hearts. Give us the right hearts so that we can know all the answers that you can give a man. And Lord for the sake of your glory and the good of others, help us be all that we can be in Christ. Lord, we see that these times are dark and they are just shakings and birth pains reminding us that your return is nigh. So help us make the most of this time.
50:25 Help us utilize the gifts that you have given us to make much of your name. Lord, help us remove any compromise, any little thing that we are justifying that we have said to ourselves, it's just for now and I won't go too far like Solomon. Help us see that you've given us him as an example of how these small things that we tolerate can become big things that were very difficult to remove. And so, lord, even if there's anything in our hearts, even now, things that we're enjoying, things that we're allowing, things that we're entertaining, that we know goes against your word, but we have been at peace with it because of our justification. Lord, let it die tonight.
51:02 Let it just lay do we just lay it at your feet and ask that you give us the power to put our foot on its neck and say no more. I wanna live consecrated and wholly committed to the cause of God. So Lord, we wanna love you, but not like Solomon did at this point. We wanna love you with all of our hearts, all of our soul, all of our strength, all of our might. You can help us do this.
51:21 We will run-in the way of your commandments when you enlarge in our hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Saints, let's stand and worship the Lord.
51:33 Let's stand and worship the Lord.
