(This article was written by Mike Bickle from The
International House of Prayer in Kansas City and is used by
permission)
I. David: God’s pattern (witness, prophetic sign) for the
redeemed
a. David is a picture of what God will release by the Spirit on the
End-Time Church that operates in power through worship that comes from
walking out lifestyles of radical loving obedience.
The sure mercies of David. 4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people. (Isa. 55:3-4)
Show me a sign for good...because You, LORD, have helped
me...(Ps. 86:17)
b. David was a wise builder in establishing his sphere of authority to
receive God’s blessing.
As a wise master builder I (Paul) laid the
foundation...let each take heed how he builds...(1 Cor. 3:10)
David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.
(1 Sam. 18:14)
David behaved more wisely than all...his name became highly
esteemed. (1 Sam. 18:30)
II. God’s desire is to manifest himself in His people as His Resting place
Heaven is My Throne, and earth is My footstool... where is the place
of My rest? (Isaiah 66:1)
Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and...Your strength.
(Ps. 132:8)
a. God made humans that He might find His home in them. God will not
rest until He finds His home in people who voluntarily live in deep unity with
His heart. At present, God is usually striving with His people in their
compromise. God describes Himself as resting when His enemies are subdued. The
redeemed do this voluntarily in various degrees in this age. When God has a
people who corporately live in voluntary love and obedience, then God is
partially able to “rest in them” even now, though He will not fully rest in His
people until the Kingdom Age. In contrast to this truth, Augustine taught that
man cannot rest until he finds his rest in God.
Since the time that I...caused you (David) to rest from all
your enemies. (2 Sam. 7:11)
The Gentiles shall seek Him (Jesus), and His resting place
shall be glorious." (Isa. 11:10)
This (Zion) is My resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired it. (Ps. 132:14)
b. God striving with sinful humanity
The LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever...5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth... 6 and He
was grieved in His heart. (Gen. 6:3-6)
They rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned
Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them. (Isa.
63:10)
Thus they provoked Him to anger...and the plague broke out
among them. (Ps. 106:29)
III. Dilemma: God’s presence manifest in the midst of sinful humanity
Go up from here….to the land of which I swore to Abraham...2 I will send My Angel before you...3 for I will NOT go up in your midst, lest I
consume you…for you are a stiff-necked people. (Ex. 33:1-3)
David arose...to bring up...the ark of God...3 They set the ark
of God on a new cart...6 Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of
God...for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused
against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died
there by the ark of God. (2 Sam. 6:2-7)
Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to
number Israel. 2 So David said to Joab..., "Go, number Israel...that I may know it." 7 God was displeased with this
thing; therefore He struck Israel. David said to
God, "I have sinned greatly...” 14 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 men of Israel
fell. 15 God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it.
16 David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth
and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell
on their faces. (1 Chr. 21:1-16)
Ananias...sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds...3
Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy
Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land...4...you have not lied
to men but to God." 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and
breathed his last. (Acts 5:1-4)
IV. Resting place for the Holy Spirit: open heaven (portal of glory)
These all continued with one accord in prayer 15…altogether the
number was about 120...(Acts 1:14-15)
They were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there
came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the
whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided
tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
a. Jesus’ earthly ministry resulted in an unprecedented miracle of 120
people living in deep unity with God and thus with one another. The result is
that God found a measure of rest in their midst as seen in the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit in the Upper Room (Acts 2). In other words, the Holy Spirit opened a
portal (large gate) of glory in the midst of people in this age without
destroying those He dwelt among.
b. They were a corporate group who sought to walk out Sermon on the Mount
Christianity in pursing to walk in full maturity of 100-fold obedience (covenant
with eyes, bridled speech, holy use of time and money). Unity (community) is a
fanciful ideal without pursuing maturity as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the
Mount (Mt. 5:48). Unity with one another occurs easily when the people are
striving to be in unity with God in thought, word and deed. The spirit of
compromise cannot unify nor bond easily with people. Unity in the Book of Acts
was focused more on pursuit of meekness than on theological ideas.
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is
perfect. (Mt. 5:48)
c. The open heaven or portal of glory in Acts 2 was in the same category of
blessing promised in Jn. 1:51.
He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son
of Man." (Jn. 1:51)
V. David’s revelation of God’s desire to rest in His people (Ps. 132)
a. David understood that God desired to manifest Himself to His people who
lived faithful before Him.
LORD, remember David...2 How he swore to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 "Surely I will not go into the
chamber of my house...4 I will not give sleep to my eyes...5 until
I find...a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob"...8 Arise, O LORD,
to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your
priests be clothed with righteousness...13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14 "This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.” (Ps.
132:1-14)
b. David bore reproach in his zeal to establish God’s house or dwelling
place to rest among His people.
Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; shame has covered my
face. 8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to
my mother's children; 9 Because zeal for Your House has eaten me up, and
the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. 10 When I
wept and chastened my soul with fasting, that became my reproach. 11…I
became a byword to them. 12 Those who sit in the gate speak against
me, and I am the song of the drunkards. (Ps. 69:7-12)
VI. God searches for hearts loyal to Him (individual and corporate)
True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit
and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
(Jn. 4:23)
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole
earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal
to Him. (2 Chr. 16:9)
Well done, good and faithful servant; you
were faithful over a few things (Mt. 25:21)
You shall be perfect (faithful to pursue God fully), just
as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Mt. 5:48)
Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear
from among the sons of men. (Ps. 12:1)
a. The great “seeker” that we need to focus on attracting is the Divine
seeker whose eyes go to and fro across the earth looking for faithful ones.
b. Compromise repels the Holy Spirit who seeks those in whom He may dwell
with in a more full way.
I sought for a man among them who would….stand in the gap before
Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
(Ezek. 22:30)
c. David was sensitive to the God who seeks to rest in His people. David
offers us a different approach to “seeker-sensitive Church life” where the focus
is on the Divine seeker and not the human ones.
The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart... (1
Sam. 13:14)
I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed
him (Ps. 89:20)
VII. David’s leadership: seeking a corporate resting place for the Holy
Spirit
I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O LORD, I will sing praises. 2
I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I
will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3 I will set nothing
wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not
cling to me. 4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know
wickedness. 5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the
one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure. 6 My eyes
shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who
walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me. 7 He who works deceit shall
not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
8 Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the
evildoers from the city of the LORD. (Ps. 101:1-8)
A. The Holy Spirit rests in context to governmental ministries in unity
with God, thus with each other. Psalm 101 is the clearest statement of David’s
practical pursuit of a corporate resting place for God.
1. David set his heart in his personal life to live in pursuit of
full obedience (Ps. 101:1-4).
2. David set his heart in his corporate life (team ministry) to
build within his sphere with the core value of seeking God with full obedience
and faithfulness (Ps. 101:5-8).
3. David embraces his part of the cooperation with grace focusing
especially on seeking so God would come (v. 2) and so the people would be
faithful (v. 6). David’s heart cry for God to come –intimacy with God and a
manifest dwelling place (God’s rest)
Oh, when will You come to me? (Ps. 101:2)
My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell
with me; he who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me. (Ps. 101:6)
B. Faithfulness is required by God and people. God requires
it to visit in power without having to destroy His people for compromise in the
midst of His manifest holiness. Also, people require it to remain
together since to neglect faithfulness divides and defiles people seeking to
work together.
It is required in stewards that one be found faithful. (1
Cor. 4:2)
VII. David’s personal life: in pursuit of full maturity (Ps. 101:1-4)
I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect
heart. 3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work
of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. 4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. (Ps.
101:2-4)
A. David’s private life of worship and prayer
I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
(Ps. 101:1)
1. Singing to directly God – Eph. 5:19
2. Praises – gratitude based life of worship
3. Exalting both mercy and justice or righteousness
B. I will behave wisely in a perfect way (v. 2) – pursuit of
100-fold obedience
C. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart (v. 2) – even in
my most familiar comfortable setting
D. I will set nothing wicked before my eyes (v. 3) – sustaining a
covenant with our eyes (Job 31:1)
I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon
a young woman? (Job 31:1)
Having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin...(2
Pet. 2:14)
E. I hate the work of those who fall away (v. 3) – declaring war on
sin with hatred of it
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride...the evil way and
the perverse mouth I hate. (Prov. 8:13)
F. It shall not cling to me (v. 3) – David warred against his
failures instead of camping out in sin
G. A perverse heart shall depart from me (v. 4) – confidence in
eventual victory
Confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good
work in you will complete it (Phil. 1:6)
H. I will not know (walk in) wickedness (v. 4) – persistent resolve
to not walk in sin and compromise
IX. David’s corporate life within the sphere of his “team life” (Ps.
101:5-8)
A. David set his heart in his corporate life within the sphere of his “team
life” (Ps. 101:5-8) to build only with people who had the core value of seeking
full maturity (Mt. 5:48; 1 Cor. 4:2). This is what David was resolved to
establish within his sphere of responsibility for two reasons. First, to attract
the Holy Spirit’s presence (God’s resting place) knowing that compromise repels
the Holy Spirit’s presence. Second, to unify the people within his sphere
knowing that compromise divides, defiles and drains the team of strength and
life.
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who
has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure. 6 My eyes shall be
on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in a
perfect way, he shall serve me. 7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my
house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. 8 Early I will
destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from
the city of the LORD. (Ps. 101:5-8)
B. My eyes shall be on the faithful that they may dwell with
me (v. 6) – choosing a team to serve in the royal court. Jesus, the “greater
David,” has these same values
Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful
over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. (Mt. 25:21)
It is required in stewards that one be found faithful. (1
Cor. 4:2)
C. He who walks in a perfect way shall serve me (v. 6) –
wholeheartedness (as a value in the team)
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is
perfect. (Mt. 5:48)
D. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor (v. 5) – subtle divisive
speech is not rewarded
E. Him I will destroy (v. 5) – resolved to confront compromise in
his team with consequences
F. The one who has a proud heart, I will not endure (v. 5) –
resolved to confront pride
G. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house (v. 7) –
lovers of truth
Because they did not receive the love of the truth... (2 Thes.
2:10)
H. He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence (v. 7)
– removed from the royal court
I. Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land (v. 8) –
revelation that leads to courage that leads to decisive proactive leadership
without the procrastination and delay of inexperienced and insecure
leadership
J. That I may
cut off all the evildoers from the city of
the LORD (v. 8) – zealous and confident in the necessity of Sermon on the Mount
Christianity.
