340 Let us use our strength 341 Now begin the work and the LORD be with you

Sermon adapted from, Discovering Christ Day by Day, David Fortner

1. “Let us use our strength.” Sermon adapted from, Discovering Christ Day by Day, David Fortner May 7 Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 18-21

2. The Ammonites had come against Israel with a very great army. Things looked bad even to Joab, a man of great military skill and experience. But he encouraged himself and soldiers under the command of his brother, Abishai.

3. 1 Chronicles 19:10 NIV Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12 Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. 13 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight.”

4. In this time of great difficulty and danger, Joab set before us an example of persevering faithfulness and reverent submission, which should be followed by all who seek the glory of God and serve the interest of His kingdom in this world. May God the Holy Spirit give us grace today and throughout the days of our appointed time in this world to heed this good counsel.

5. Our lives should be characterized by a persevering faithfulness to our God and to the work He has committed to our hands. Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight.“ 1 Chronicles 19:13 NIV Faithfulness

6. The Lord God has entrusted us with the gospel of His grace. 2 Corinthians 4:5 NIV For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

7. He has not given us this treasure to hide in a vault, but to spread through all the earth for the salvation of His elect. God has given us the means and the opportunity to proclaim the gospel to this generation; and He has commanded us to do so.

8. We have greater means at our disposal for the preaching of the gospel than any generation in history. Let us be found faithful unto death in the employment of the means He has given us for the furtherance of the gospel of Christ. This is the point of our responsibility.

9. We know what God has commanded; and what He has commanded we must do. Mark 16:15 NIV He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

10. We must serve the Lord our God with a reverent submission. 1 Chronicles 19:13 NIV Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight." Submission

11. Joab was saying, “If God saves us, we shall be saved. If we perish, we shall perish. That is up to Him. But we will serve Him valiantly.” This is our work. We must preach the gospel to all men, as God gives us opportunity.

12. If He is pleased to save men, we shall rejoice and preach the gospel. If God is pleased to harden men, we shall still rejoice and preach the gospel. He is God. We are His servants. Let Him do with us what He will. “ The LORD will do what is good in His sight .”

13. Blessed Holy Spirit, grant grace to every soul in Your Church, grant grace to the worthless, dirty instruments we inhabit, by which You may be pleased to spread forth Your Word, that we may ever be found faithful to God my Savior and submissive to His will in all things, for the glory of Christ.

14. “Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you.” Sermon adapted from, Discovering Christ Day by Day, David Fortner May 8 Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 22-24

15. O Lord, my God, give me grace by Your Spirit to begin and go through every day of my life in the service of Your church and Kingdom. To have this charge from the very mouth of my God stirring my heart.

16. 1 Chronicles 22:14 NIV “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. 15 You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work 16 in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you.”

17. In these three chapters of Inspiration we find David’s preparations for the building of the temple in Jerusalem. He was not permitted to build it himself; but he was permitted to make all the preparations for it. The honor of building it would be his son’s; but that did not keep David from doing the lesser work with all his might.

18. This is the way we must serve our God. Let us be pleased to have our names forgotten and left in obscurity, and the name of God our Savior be known and exalted alone. Having gathered all the material required for the building of God’s house, David gave Solomon his son a solemn charge. Solomon was then appointed to be king in David’s stead; and the Levites and officers were appointed to their specific work.

19. God’s servant David prepared his silver and gold for the service of him from whom he received all and to whom he owed all, with generosity and greatness of mind, determined to use everything at his disposal for the glory of God, and in the service of His church and kingdom. May God the Holy Spirit sweetly constrain you and me to do the same. 1 Chronicles 22

20. We are not driven by law to do so. We are not motivated by fear, by hope of reward, or by dread of loss. 2 Corinthians 5:14 NIV For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

21. There is no power to motivate, inspire, and lay claim to all like love. Blessed Son of God, so flood my soul with the knowledge of Your love for me that I have no will to keep back anything for myself; neither of talents, nor of time, neither of power, nor of money, but to cast all at Your feet. Use me, my God, for your glory and the service of Your people.

22. What an honor that would be for You to heap upon such a useless, sinful wretch! How we, Your people, rejoice to know it is Your good pleasure and Your glory to use just such things as we are for the salvation of Your elect and the benefit of Your saints.

23. 1 Corinthians 1:26 NIV Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

24. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

25. Make us, blessed Savior, pillars in Your temple, built upon the same foundation as the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building is fitly framed together, that we may grow up into a holy temple in the Lord for a habitation of God through the Spirit.

26. What a great multitude of Levites there were whose lives were devoted to the service of the house of God! There were multiplied thousands of them. Yet, there was not only room enough for them, but also plenty for them all! Psalms 36:8 NIV They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 1 Chronicles 23

27. Child of God, remember that promise; and remember that all God’s people are spiritual Levites. Christ has made us kings and priests unto God our Father. 1 Peter 2:9 NIV But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Psalms 84:4 NIV Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

28. No doubt there is in these Levites a representation of God’s faithful servants in every age. Jeremiah 3:15 NIV Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

29. As You taught us, we beg of You, O Lord of the harvest, send forth laborers into Your vineyard today. Raise up and send forth Your servants able because they are gifted by Your Spirit, and willing because they are inspired by Your glory, to labor in your Word and Doctrine, to devote themselves to Your cause, and anxious to do the work of evangelists, sounding abroad the gospel of Your grace among all nations!

30. Here the Levites are set apart by lot to stand before the Lord and serve Him and His people according to the order of their course and according to the abilities God gave them for their specific work. So all the members of Christ’s spiritual temple, the church, are each set apart to present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God in Jesus, because this is our “ true and proper worship .” 1 Chronicles 24

31. Romans 12:1 NIV Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

32. O royal priests of God, my brothers and sisters in Christ, what vast dignity our God has put upon us! Our great High Priest has brought us nigh. He has opened for us a new and living way by His blood into the holiest of all, and bids us ever to come to Him.

33. Hebrews 4:16 NIV Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

34. God give us grace to live as His priests in this world! Let us continually draw near with true hearts, in full assurance of faith, confident of God’s acceptance by the blood and righteousness of His dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you.“ 1 Chronicles 22:16d NIV

35. HAVE YOU HEARD THE GOOD NEWS?

36. Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

37. He was buried and rose on the third day.

38. When He did this He solved 2 problems we all have. He solved our sin problem because He nailed our sins to the cross; & He solved our grave problem when He rose from the dead because it proved we could also rise from the dead.

39. Jesus said, if we want to get in on of all this we must . . . BE BORN AGAIN. FOLLOW HIM; &

40. ISN’T THAT GREAT NEWS? WHO ARE YOU GOING TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH TODAY?

41. Mark 16:15 NIV  He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Numbers 6:24 NIV '"The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.“’