July 28, 2012 - Church at Worship

Sermon: "A Man After God’s Own Heart" - Bernard Taylor

Pastoral Welcome: Stew Harty

Baptism: Sophia Ileana Guzman - Genevieve Koh Isidro

Children’s Feature: Patty Marruffo

Meditation:

It must be demonstrated that everyone has a part to play and that one is free to play it or not; that one is a link in a chain and not a wisp of straw swept along by a torrent; that, in brief, human dignity is not a vain word, and that when one is not convinced of this and does not try to attain this dignity, one lowers oneself to the level of the beast. – Lecomte du Noüy, Human Destiny, xi (adapted).

Scripture Reading: I Samuel 13:13, 14, TNIV - Duane and Jennifer Baldwin

Sermon Notes: 

Biography is an integral part of the narrative books of Scripture, and a key characteristic is
the willingness to “tell it like it is,” both positive and negative. The story of David is no exception. However, before we meet him for the first time, we learn the divine assessment from
Samuel that David is a man after God’s own heart.

From the outset David is sensitive, thoughtful, generous, spiritual; a fitting replacement for
Saul who was in essence a man after the people’s own heart. Then came the fateful night,
and the encounter with Bathsheba, an event that changed the course of history. And while
the effects were felt far and wide, likely David’s family suffered the most.

The lack of parental restraint and the absence of a father figure left David’s four sons with
no clear direction, except a burning desire to gain access to the throne and power, and the
sooner the better. When Nathan recounted his story of the death of the poor man’s ewe
lamb, David’s sense of justice demanded fourfold retribution, all the while unaware that he
was passing judgment upon himself.

An early casualty of the ensuing royal plots and counterplots was Tamar, full sister of Absalom, and half-sister of Amnon whose unbridled lust violated his sister, paradoxically with the
connivance of David.

But for God’s initial assessment, all of this could easily be no more than the warp and woof of
the times, and even then the long series of sad events surely has rendered that null and void.
But no, in Acts 13:22 the assessment is remembered and repeated. That it is still understood
to be true can be seen in the light of the recognition in the next verse that it was through the
descendants of this man that “God has brought to Israel a Savior.”

So what does it mean to be a man or woman after God’s own heart, both then and now?

Bernard Taylor
Scholar in Residence

Note: Baptisms and child dedications are in the extras section in the DVD