The Promise Is Closer Than You Think | DAVID | Pastor Steve Andres

New City Church

Messages

The Promise Is Closer Than You Think | DAVID | Pastor Steve Andres

August 18, 2024 • Pastor Steve Andres • 1 Samuel 30:3–4, Jeremiah 1:12

This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our DAVID series with a message about holding on to God’s promises!

1 Samuel 30:3-4

When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.

After decades of waiting on God’s promise, David seems further away from its fulfillment than ever. How do we stay steady when we can’t see God moving?

1) God’s plan is not about efficiency. It’s about fruitfulness.

More Psalms were written in the wilderness than any other setting. Sometimes God’s plan is to take us the long way so that we can be more fruitful.

We handle OBEDIENCE. God handles OUTCOMES.

When we can’t see the destination, we still have a way that God has called us to walk. Trust that His way is best!

2) Steward what God provides. Hope for all he promised.

David took care of the families that he led, fighting to rescue them. But he continued to look for God’s promise of the throne of Israel.

3) Don’t give up. The promise is closer than you think.

The enemy of our souls will whisper in our ears that God has forgotten his promise. Don’t believe it. The enemy doesn’t win if you get discouraged or hurt or heartbroken. He only wins if you quit. God will do everything he said he will do.

Jeremiah 1:12

I watch over my word that I should perform it.

Three days after David rescues the families that had been taken captive, the crown is delivered to him and God’s word from many years earlier is realized. If David had quit, he would never have seen the promise!

Jesus faced his darkest moment on the cross, when it seemed that all hope was lost. But it was precisely at that moment when he was closer than ever to the fulfillment of his mission to bring forgiveness and life. Don’t give up!

Who's Got Next? | DAVID | Pastor Steve Andres

September 8, 2024 • Pastor Steve Andres • 2 Chronicles 3:1

Are you preparing for who’s next? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres concluded our DAVID series with a message about leaving a legacy. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of [Araunah] the Jebusite. David’s story is the story of an imperfect person living by the faithfulness of God. In this new season, he has new questions to tackle about his heart and legacy. 1) What do you do when God says NO? David’s desire to build a house for the Lord is good, but God still says no. The man or woman of God can trust that God’s no is still for our good. 2) Can you sacrifice for what you won’t enjoy? Once David realizes that someone else is going to build the Temple, he might have folded his arms and done nothing more. Instead, he prepares for the work to be done. “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” Nelson Henderson Even though our culture encourages a me-first mindset, God’s plan is to serve even when it doesn’t benefit. 3) Are you preparing for who’s next? David’s legacy was to prepare for someone else to build a house for God. At the same place of David’s repentance and sacrifice, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to prepare the way for us to be forgiven and set free!

For The Sake Of Your Family | DAVID | Pastor Joaquin Pardo

September 1, 2024 • Pastor Joaquin Pardo • 2 Samuel 13:11–14, 2 Samuel 13:21

This weekend Pastor Joaquin continued our DAVID series with a message about how our choices impact more than just us. 2 Samuel 13:11-14 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. As for me, where could I carry my shame? 1) Your choices don't just affect you -they impact those you love. When David chose to sleep with Bathsheba, it set off a chain reaction of consequences. Disaster not only touches his life but also the lives of his entire family. The same is true when you walk with the LORD. When God blesses you, the blessing doesn’t just affect you - that blessing impacts those you love! 2) Choose to confront the issue. 2 Samuel 13:21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. Although David was angered by what had happened to his daughter Tamar, he did nothing about it. This led to his son Absalom taking matters into his own hands and killing his brother Amnon. "Avoiding conflict isn’t the same as harmony. In fact, avoiding conflict creates an illusion of harmony while the real issues continue to fester beneath the surface." John Gottman, Ph.D. Confronting the issue is an act of love. Refusing to do so is an act of neglect. 3) Choose forgiveness and when possible, reconcile. Towards the end of the story, there is a civil war between David and his son Absalom which leads to Absalom's death. All this is a result of David not wanting to confront the issue and Absalom refusing to forgive his father's neglect. This story points us to a greater example. A greater King. Jesus did for us what David couldn't do!

Failure Doesn't Have To Be Final | DAVID | Pastor Steve Andres

August 25, 2024 • Pastor Steve Andres • 2 Corinthians 5:21, Proverbs 27:16, Psalm 51:10

What if you weren’t defined by your worst moments? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres continued our DAVID series with a message about how to recover from failure. Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. After David’s sin with Bathsheba is exposed, he is humiliated and 1) Failure gives us a new perspective. David’s reaction to his sin is one of true humility and brokenness before God. If we fail to recognize that our sin is against God, our repentance can still be self-serving. 2) Failure might be a me thing, but repentance is a we thing. Nathan was a wise voice speaking into the David’s foolishness. When we fall, we need to listen carefully to other godly voices that can guide us. 3) Failure is never the final word for the righteous. Many people are defined by their failures. David’s deep and sincere repentance meant that his failure would not be final. Proverbs 27:16 For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. The righteous person is not defined by their falling, but by their rising. Because Jesus paid the price for every sin, we can be confident that God will give us grace to rise after falling! 2 Corinthians 5:21 God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God. Failure doesn’t have to be final!