David: The (Im)Perfect King

Big Idea

David is one of the major players throughout the Old Testament. In addition to writing many of the Psalms, David is portrayed throughout the Old Testament as the model king, a “man after God’s own heart.”

But that does not mean David is perfect. While there are several relationships David establishes through his life that are God-pleasing, we read about just as many that lead David astray and away from god. In fact, throughout the Old Testament, we see David getting himself into several awful relationships… even by today’s standards.

And yet, God uses David and his family to save the world through Jesus. The reason Da-vid did any good at all was not because he was good, but because God is good. God covers everything that was bad about David with His goodness. God works in David’s life and lives in him. God is the only reason that any of us do good. So, like David, we are people after God’s own heart.

Throughout this series, we’ll look at how God uses different relationships David found himself in to shape David into a God-fearing person. And, we’ll learn from David’s choices to help us continue to examine our hearts and grow closer to God.

Series Breakdown

July 11, 2021: David and Samuel

Samuel doesn’t expect God to guide him to choose David to be the next king. David is the youngest, the weakest, and the least likely candidate in the family of Jesse. But God looks deeper than outward appearances. As God guides Samuel to anoint David, Samuel and David rely on God’s wisdom and intimate knowledge about each of their identities.

We are all clay jars, cracked and imperfect, but God has a plan for every one of us. His plan is sometimes slower than we want, and it may not make sense to us. Like David, you can have confidence that God knows where you are. Know that God is working in your life, using you to fulfill His good and perfect plan.
Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 16

July 18, 2021: David and Goliath

The story of David and Goliath is the classic underdog tale. David is small; Goliath is big. But what we often fail to recognize in this story is the size of God. God is HUGE. David is victorious in his battle with Goliath because he relies on God’s size, not his own. David aligns his agenda to God’s will, not the other way around.

When we try to fight our own battles, we often fail because our giants are too big for us to handle alone. Jesus already defeated the giant of sin in your life. So, no battle is too big when we size it up based on who God is, not just what we can see.
Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 17

July 25, 2021: David and Jonathan

Saul sees David as a major threat and wants to get rid of him. Despite this, Saul’s son Jonathan follows God’s will by aligning himself with David. This was not an easy decision, as going against the king was going to cost him. But to do the opposite – go against God’s will – would cost him even more. Jonathan rejoices in David’s position, even though it means he loses everything.

We must be careful not to be blind with ambition. Rather than orienting our hearts to what we want or feel like we need, we constantly need to go to God in prayer and His Word to orient our hearts with God’s heart.
Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 20

August 1, 2021: David and Saul

Saul hunts David with intent to kill. And yet, David is the one who can take out Saul. When David finds himself in a position of power and authority over Saul, who continually seeks to destroy him, David chooses to be meek and humble. David yields to God’s will instead of his own desire for safety and revenge.

When you find yourself in a position of power and authority over someone who has wronged you, your decisions will reveal what you really think about God, mercy, and justice. God calls us to obey Him, even when it doesn’t appear to be in your best interest. We can trust that God, the creator of the universe, is worthy of our obedience.
Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 24

August 8, 2021: David and God

David is ready to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, his city. But he wants to do things his way, and the consequences are severe. David becomes angry with God and refuses to move the Ark any further, afraid that more might die in trying. Eventually, David comes to understand he had nothing to fear if he follows God’s directions. Through this situation, David learns to both revere God in holy fear and worship the Lord in exuberate joy.

In the chaos of life, we need God more than we understand. Catastrophe and crisis show our weaknesses and flaws because we often want to blame God rather than relying on Him through our struggles. Misunderstanding who God is will affect how you relate to Him. God is not into being manipulated or managed. God is with you always.
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 6

August 15, 2021: David, Bathsheba, and Nathan

David’s eyes wander, a good man dies, and now there are consequences. The Lord is displeased with David, who seems to have no knowledge of his sin. In His mercy, God sends Nathan, who guides David to take an honest look at what he’s done and repent of his sin.

The Bible is honest; we see the good, the bad, and the ugly in God’s people. Through these stories, God teaches us to be careful in choosing the paths we take. God uses Christian people in our lives to help us recognize our sin and repent. God desires mercy, not sacrifice.
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 11 & 12 (also Psalm 51:17)

August 22, 2021: David and Absalom

David fathered dozens of children. Unfortunately, he missed the mark on disciplining many of them. The consequences of David’s parenting failures resulted in his son Absalom killing his brother and attempting to steal the kingdom from his father. David flees Jerusalem and must deal with how his failures impact his family and the entire kingdom of Israel.

Part of the role of a parent is to discipline children, teaching them right from wrong and leading them to grow in faith. Just like God disciplines each of us for our eternal good, parents discipline their children with their best interests in mind. God doesn’t hold parents responsible for their children’s actions, but he does hold them responsible for what they teach their children.
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 15 (Romans 8:1,3b; Hebrews 12:5)

August 29, 2021: David and Himself

Despite being a witness to God’s goodness and blessings, David’s pride overtakes him, and he orders his leaders to take a census of his fighting men to see how many people are in his army. As a result, God sends a plague to Israel as the punishment for David’s sin. David feels guilt, repents of his sin, and offers sacrifices to God. God hears his prayers and stops the plague.

Pride is the root cause of our sins. When we let pride get the best of us, we take credit for what God is doing in our lives. God gives us a conscience to help us realize what we’ve done and feel the guilt that leads us to repentance. When we repent, we fall into the hands of God.
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 24

September 5, 2021: David and You

David’s at the end of his life. He’s got limited time to impart his wisdom to his family and kingdom. He uses his time to honor and praise God. Through these final words of David in 2 Samuel 23, we see that David has learned the importance of ruling his kingdom in the fear of the Lord. Because of God’s goodness, David’s family line will produce Jesus, the Savior of the world.

Time is fleeting. Life is full but the years go by fast. We all eventually find ourselves wondering what legacy we will leave when we’re gone. David teaches us the value and importance of passing on blessings from God so the children who come after you can succeed better than you.
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 23