Character of Kings
Saul - David - Solomon
Kings of Judah - Southern Kingdom
May 22, 2022 • Mike Burt • 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles
Sunday will be the last in a series that began with Samuel anointing the first King of Israel, Saul. We wandered in and out of the life of Saul and encountered the shepherd boy David. David was used of God to serve the nation of Israel as the first King of Judah – a key figure in the linage of Messiah. Following David was the wisdom of Solomon that was followed by division and sin in the people. Last Sunday we covered the Kings of the North whose capital was Samaria. This Sunday we move on to the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the several Kings who served on the throne. Kings of the North were by far mostly bad and evil while a few Kings of the South loved the Lord and followed God’s Word. I will mention 5 and focus on 3 who best reflect the goodness of God in the lives of men. First will be the account of Jehoshaphat and his interactions with the wicked King Ahab. Then a better known story told of Hezekiah and his cleansing of the Temple and restoring the true worship of the Lord. Finally we will visit the life of Josiah who made the Delight of God the Desire of his heart. Three Biblical examples of listening to the Word of God above all the din of earthly voices! God’s work will only be done God’s Way according to God’s Word! Please join us this week for a last chapter in the saga of Kings – this week seeing a few good ones! I will have another chart of the Kings of the North and if you missed it a few still Kings of the South. See you Sunday! Pastor Mike
Kings of Samaria (Israel)
May 15, 2022 • Pastor Mike • 1 Kings, 2 Kings
“Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” Judges 10:14 (LORD to Israel convicting them of idolatry) Idols can only make promises. They cannot keep them. But we too often foolishly believe they might. We may believe that money can buy our happiness or joy. We can believe that pleasures will be our refuge and comfort. We believe success in business or investments will prove our worth. We know some who believe successful children will equate with our success. Proverbs 13:12 says, "Delayed hope makes the heart sick." This means that if our hope is in something that can fail, our hearts will fall with it. Our spiritual life and life of faith will decay. This is what idols do - they fail. Trusting in these things should be as foolish to us as worshipping Baal was to Elijah. Sunday I will begin with Elijah and take us though the 19 Kings of the Northern Kingdom. I will only touch on a few highlights but each time showing the emptiness of idols. I want us to leave with a clear understanding of God’s view of idols and the dangers of idols in our life. Idols are frequently very subtle – they take on form only in our minds and imaginations. The key to resisting idols is a supreme love for the true and living ONLY God! Sunday we will sing of that, pray in praise of that and spend our time in God’s Word hearing that.
Will the real….
May 1, 2022 • Mike Burt • 1 Kings 3
There is an older TV show that was titled 'To Tell The Truth'. In this show a celebrity panel would have opportunity to question 3 contestants to discover who had the real occupation or hobby. The contestants were 2 imposters who could improvise answers and 1 honest guest who must answer truthfully to all questions. The entertainment was often in the absurdity of the imposters or the oddity of the truth – the celebrity panel would vote and the genuine guest would be revealed by them being compelled To Tell The Truth. The famous line is, “will the real ‘character’ please stand up.” Sunday we will look in on the first test of Solomon’s wisdom. Two women, 1 deceased child and 1 surviving child – who belongs to whom? Both claim to be the mother of the living child but one is lying – how to know? Since Solomon is blessed with the wisdom of God - the test is one of deepest and most genuine love – just like God would do! Please invite others to this well known but often misunderstood account of Solomon. I will do my best to share it and draw eternal conclusions – I need for you to bring those who most need to hear this kind of love expressed by our loving God. See you Sunday! Pastor Mike
A King with a generous heart
April 24, 2022 • Denis Garijo • 1 Chronicles 28:1—29:18
This Sunday, we will return to David's last days as a king, and we will have the opportunity to see a humble and generous heart. It's possible to spend a lot of time and energy accumulating or protecting earthly treasures. And the question is, as believers, do we truly understand that we are stewards and not owners of all the resources God has given us? By looking into David's experience, I pray that we will search our own hearts and ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to have a humble and generous heart like his. Denis Garijo '"But who am I, and what are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand." 1 Chronicles 29:14
Welcome the King!
April 10, 2022 • Mike Burt • 1 Kings, John 12, Matthew 12:42
King Solomon had great wisdom and great wealth – all from the hand of God. We read and heard his prayer for wisdom – God granted that and more. As we come into Palm Sunday there is a key verse in Matthew that states “The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.” (12:42) Greater than Solomon! Is that what we see at the Entry of Jesus on the Sunday before Easter? Like other great kings, Solomon has come and gone. All that he had is gone. But Jesus is here. He will supply you with His wisdom. He will give you water so you will never thirst again. He's preparing a place for you in heaven. And Jesus will give you joy day by day. And that's why we worship the One True King - the Lord Jesus, who is greater than Solomon! He's the everlasting King and our great Savior. Sunday we will again look into the character of King Solomon and compare that to the true greatness of the King of Kings on Palm Sunday. Hope to see you this week at Grace - Pastor Mike
Peace Makers
April 3, 2022 • Mike Burt • Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 Sunday will be a very special day – we have guests from the war-torn country of Ukraine. Grace has sent several there over the years to serve and we have supported many who are still trying to share the Gospel and do discipleship – even in war! Please come and support our missionary ambassadors to this country under conflict and join us as we pray for peace! God is in the peacemaking business. God has called us to be in the peacemaking business too. God says that relationships are important and that is what life is about. When all is said and done, we won’t have possessions, but we will still have our relationships. Heaven is all about relationships. You get into heaven by the relationship you have with Jesus. We won’t have “stuff” in heaven but we will have each other and Jesus too. Relationships matter. Relationships need to be emphasized above resolution. How can you be a peacemaker? It all begins by really knowing living like the “Prince of Peace”, Jesus Christ. It all begins by have a relationship with Him. He wants you to trust Him, to believe in Him, to have faith in Him. He has the ability to change things. He has the ability to fix that which is broken. Sunday we will see Jesus was the Peacemaker. He changes things. Where there is a storm, He creates calm. Where there is chaos, He creates order. Where there is bitterness and strife, He creates peace. He is the Prince of Peace. He has called us to be peacemakers too. That should be our goal and that must be our prayer! See you Sunday! Pastor Mike
God's heart
March 20, 2022 • Mike Burt • 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel
“I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART” What a roller coaster! David was able to bring down Goliath with God’s guiding hand and then unable to control his own desires regarding Bathsheba. David’s initial sin led to several more including murder! Once confronted by Nathan, David is left to repent and seek restoration before the Lord. Sunday I want to review the steps David has taken and make sure that we see in his life the same things God saw. Nobody should be known for their worst day nor be lauded for their best day. God sees all – He sees the heart and knows the mind. Sunday we will try to grasp the overview and come to some life goals for ourselves. Let’s be a people who seek the heart of God and wish to honor the name of God. In the end we should seek after God’s heart only – not trying to win the hearts of those around us nor the very dangerous course of following our own heart – but the heart of God in the life of the believer – that is my prayer! 'Let my heart be broken by the things that break God’s heart.’ Join us this Sunday for a walk back down the life of David to see his heart – a man after the heart of God. Pastor Mike Psalm 34:18. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
We Need Wisdom!
March 27, 2022 • Mike Burt • 1 Kings 3:1–14
“There is nothing more foolish than an act of wickedness; there is no wisdom equal to that of obeying God.” Albert Barnes Leaving King David we move on to his son, Solomon. King Solomon is asked by Jehovah what gift he would request so that he, as King, could better serve God’s people. Solomon could have asked for many things but his request was ‘wisdom’ for ruling. God’s offer in verse 5 was met by true humility in verses 7,8. God’s reply in verse 10 was to acknowledge that Solomon could have asked for many things but chose what was best for Israel and not just for himself. God then followed up with multiple blessings and promises just like God would do! God is good! Sunday we will take a look at Biblical wisdom, Solomon’s request and how we should seek God’s wisdom in our everyday life. I typically define wisdom at the intersection of knowledge and experience. I will explain this and hopefully share some small pieces of wisdom Sunday – don’t miss this one! See you Sunday, Pastor Mike “Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” Charles Spurgeon
David's Test
March 13, 2022 • Josh Burt • 2 Samuel 12
Between the two chapters (2 Samuel 11 and 12) are about 12 months. During this twelve months surely David has struggled with guilt, doubt, and hiding. These sorrow and guilt is where we will pickup this Sunday as we dive into the first half of chapter 12 - where the prophet Nathan confronts David with his continued sin. Why did God “wait” to confront David with the original sin? Why would God not immediately confront and punish David? We will take a look at this passage and see how God used Nathan not to simply bring the receipt of David’s sin, but to bring David back to communion with God. Many times we can be living in times of sin, cover-up, secrecy, and/or silence to God. God’s desire throughout ALL Scripture is not to simply “accept” but to redeem. There is a conviction, there is consequence, there is cost - and God’s desire is for communion with us. See you this Sunday as we unpack this story and see how Truth is always Truth no matter the situation. Sunday is coming! - Pastor Josh
Wrong Place – Wrong Choice
March 6, 2022 • Mike Burt • 2 Samuel 11
“Let us stop the progress of sin in our soul at the first stage, for the farther it goes the faster it will increase.” Thomas Fuller Not too many chapters are scarier than 2 Samuel 11. David, who is known as ‘a man after God’s own heart’ failed to resist the longings of his sinful heart. The shepherd boy who defeated the Giant Goliath was struck down by his own lust. The Psalmist who wrote so many hymns and poems of the strength of God could not find any to defend again desire. How could the King become a common subject to passions? Sin is the simple answer! There is a fallacy that makes the rounds within communities of faith: walk long enough and you can become immune to temptations. This is false! David was about 50 and had trusted God for so many things and had seen the hand of God so often that he must have let himself rest in complacency. Not a good place! If it happened to him – it could happen to us! Sunday we will read the story of David, Bathsheba, Uriah, Joab and the Ammonites. We will review the Power of Sin as well as the Pain, Process and Products of Sin. The outcome would be grim if not for the glory of the redeeming Purposes of Christ – He forgives and He saves. Many important questions this week – about temptations, trials, tests, treachery. The only story of sin that seems to be told more than this one is the sin of Adam and Eve or maybe the great fall of Samson – either way – this is a cautionary tale not to be missed. See you Sunday! Pastor Mike Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Don't Be Old Fashioned!
February 27, 2022 • Mike Burt • 2 Samuel 6
“God's plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God's method.” E.M. Bounds Celebrations are great aren’t they? Here’s the question, when’s the last time that you really celebrated something? I hope you have enough blessings you can remember. If it’s been too long then that’s a problem. Our lives should be marked by celebrations. The God of the universe loves us and paid the price so that we can live life forever with Him. That’s the best thing in the world. If He’s in our life there are going to be things that we can celebrate. Today our key passage is going to look at a celebration that David had. We are talking Sunday about celebrations and we will looking at one of the greatest times of celebration in the life of David. He has become the king of Israel, he has united the kingdom. He is thankful for all that God has done, so he decides to honor God with worship in Jerusalem. Here comes the problem – new day – new methods? David uses a new cart to bring the Ark of God to the City of God – Jerusalem. God’s Work will be done God’s Way according to God’s Word. That is the key to Sunday – join us! Pastor Mike “Our eyes should be taken off self, removed from our own weakness and allowed to rest implicitly upon God’s strength.” E.M. Bounds
Fight or Flight?
February 20, 2022 • Mike Burt • 1 Samuel 24
“To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.” G.K. Chesterton David was pursued and now hopelessly trapped in a cave with Saul at the enterance and 3000 soldiers just outside. There seemed only one solution – revenge! Yet God has a different plan – kindness and forgiveness. Sunday we will see what David did, what David heard, what David received. Romans tells us that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance – but how easy is it to show that kindness? How do we forgive? How do we forget? I love the story told by D.L. Moody about the guy who was willing to ‘bury the hatchet’ but he left the handle sticking up from the dirt so he could grab it again if he needed it. This is not forgive and forget! Join us Sunday as we will see God working in David’s life to be kind, patient and trusting! All of these seem difficult at times and even impossible! Yet that is what God desires and David demonstrates. It is not just about what happened to David, it is what faces us! Like C.S. Lewis says: “Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” We will read this ‘lovely idea’ and learn some practical applications regarding forgiveness and being forgiving. See you Sunday! Pastor Mike
Friends and Family
February 13, 2022 • Mike Burt • 1 Samuel 18, 1 Samuel 19, 1 Samuel 20
“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.” James 2:23 David was ignored by his brothers – loved by the children of his enemy – Saul. One of the things that’s amazing about this entire story is that while the hatred of Saul for David was growing every day, David was surrounded by others who loved him. We’re told that the Israelites loved him, that the King’s son Jonathan loved him, and that the King’s daughter loved him (in fact, when the text says in I Samuel 18:20 that Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, it’s the only place in the Hebrew scripture where a woman is said to love a man). In the midst of this darkest hour of David’s life, while Saul’s hatred for David burned within him, everyone else was growing more and more fond of David. Statistics tell us that most people are lucky if they have one “close friend” in their lifetime. And with the fact that Americans are moving from place to place more now than ever before it becomes very difficult to make and keep such a friend. Sunday we will look at the characteristics of True Biblical Friendship. Such a relationship is scriptural, shaping and sustaining – all of which we find in the friendship of David and Jonathan. Join us Sunday to hear from God’s Word on being a better friend, finding good friends and being a friend of God. See you Sunday, Pastor Mike “Spiritual friendship is eagerly helping one another know, serve, love, and resemble God in deeper and deeper ways.” Tim Keller
I saw a ghost!
February 6, 2022 • Mike Burt • 1 Samuel 28
"Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a woman who is a medium at En-dor.” (1 Samuel 28:7). This chapter of the Word of God gives us an account of something that happened in the life of King Saul. Saul, as we have already seen, was the first king of Israel. He began well but he ended badly. This is the night before he died. He committed a sin on this night before he died greater than all the sins that he had committed in his life before. His sin was this: he went to a woman that had a ‘familiar spirit’. She was a witch. He wanted to have information about what was going to happen the next day, because on that next day King Saul was facing a terrible enemy on the field of battle – the Philistines. We know this battle occurred at Mount Gilboa. It was the final defeat for a King who had abandoned God and His Word to pursue popular victory over godly success. Sunday we will hear this story and be reminded of several key life lessons – 1) Wait on God! 2) No Shortcuts! 3) Sin cannot EVER be the right answer! 4) God’s Work will be done God’s Way by God’s Word. Lots to cover – don’t miss this unique story and important spiritual lessons – see you Sunday! Pastor Mike
The Messy Character of Saul
January 30, 2022 • Denis Garijo • 1 Samuel 17
This Sunday, the passage that we will see is a well-known passage- David defeats Goliath. But since our series is about the Character of the Kings, we will not focus on David. Instead, we will be talking about Saul and Goliath. The kings from the Old Testament that we recognize by their good character are kings who trusted in the Lord and not themselves. We saw that Saul had a good start, but he struggled with his faith at this point. He trusted in himself, his title, power, armor, and success. As a result of his messy character, his enemy became so big that human efforts could not defeat him. Have you had or have a Goliath in your life? God is our deliverer, and there is nothing too hard or too big that He cannot overcome. As pastor Mike shared a couple of weeks ago, "What trains us to trust is to watch God work through us for His Glory." See you on Sunday, Pastor Denis