There Is None Like You

Introduction

A. Remember a time when you got more than you deserved? I remember the time when as a teenager my car was in a shop for repairs and one of the church members came up and gave me $50 to help pay for the repair. When I tried to repay it, he said to give it to someone else who needed it. I remember an older man taking me under his wing and teaching me about living on your own and how to make visits and how to talk with people that you didn’t know and the evening would end with ice cream or yogurt. I didn’t deserve that kind of attention from O’Neil Parker but he gave it freely.

B. We have all received something from life or from someone else that we didn’t deserve. Some who receive such gifts think that the gift is deserved, but most who receive that which is undeserving recognize the gift for what it truly is — an act of kindness and grace that cannot be repaid. C.S. Lewis has an interesting view on gifts. As many question how something bad can happen to them, Lewis asks the question “how do you explain something good happening to you?” His point, of course, is that any gift by definition is undeserved. But few of us complain about being given something good which is undeserved.

C. Take just a moment and inventory your most recent history. Did you deserve the gifts your received for Christmas? Gift exchanging has become traditional and expected, but do we recognize the true nature of a gift. A piece of clothing given is more than something given which keeps you from buying it later on. Someone has taken money to purchase an item for you with the intent of saying something about their care and love for you. But a gift is undeserved. What does a child do to earn a gift? Rarely enough. But if one does enough to earn a gift, then it is no longer a gift but a wage. Gifts are undeserved. Wages are earned. Take your inventory. Move beyond recent gifts. Understand how many gifts you received. Let’s be thankful.

The Text

A. The ark of the covenant of the covenant keeping God has been returned to Jerusalem. It resides in a tent. David has built a beautiful palace. This palace is a sign of his status as king but also a demonstration of God’s care and blessing. David recognizes that there is a disparity between his living quarters and the dwelling place of God. This inequality demands a remedy. David desires to build a house for God. Nathan, God’s prophet, endorses David’s desire. This is a time of great blessing and harmony between David and God. Nathan believes that God is fully supporting David.

B. But that night Nathan had an encounter with God. God’s point — I didn’t command David to build me a house. It may be a nice gesture, but he shouldn’t build that which I haven’t required him to build. God had plenty of opportunity to ask for a house to be built. Israel has been a wandering people. It was important for God to identify with his people. So he wandered too. A tent was constructed as his dwelling place. A tent isn’t permanent. It can be folded and moved to the next location. And God was pleased with this means of identifying with his people.

C. God is very plain. A house will be built. It is time for people to recognize that they are no longer wanderers. It is time for there to be a sense of permanence. But it will not be David who will build my house. Instead one of his sons will build my house. But in addition to building my house, that son will become special to God. God’s favor will be on that son so that his kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom. Of course, God has Solomon in mind, but more than Solomon, God is looking to the future of his own Son — Jesus who will come through the line of David and become God’s permanent and everlasting king.

God’s Gifts

A. Notice in this text, the emphasis on the work of God.

1. V.5 — I brought Israel up out of Egypt

2. V.6 — did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people

3. V. 7 — I took you from the pasture to be ruler

4. V. 8 — I cut off your enemies

5. V. 8 — I will make your name great

6. V. 9 — I will provide a place for my people

7. V. 10 — I will build a house for you

8. V. 11 — I will raise up your offspring

9. V. 12 — I will establish his throne forever

10. V.13 — I will never take my love from him

B. Which of those actions from God did David deserve? Which one of those did David earn? Which of those gifts was God obligated to give to David? David wasn’t around for the escape from Egypt. David wasn’t the first leader of the people. His skill for taking care of sheep didn’t rise to the position of king. The man who was a great warrior didn’t deserve not to have enemies attack and win. God acted on David’s behalf because of the kindness and grace of God. He established David as king not because of David’s political prowess but because God wanted to bless David and to bring Jesus as the ultimate ruler into this world.

C. Gifts are undeserved. What is the response to a series of gifts that are completely beyond your ability to earn or deserve? Look at David’s response in verses 16–20. David recognized God’s goodness and grace and refused to take credit for that which only God could do. Our response to God’s wonderful gift of Jesus should be like David’s.

1. We should respond with humility. “Who am I, Lord God, the you have brought me this far?” No arrogance. No pride. No sticking out the chest. No feeling that I deserve this. Humility. Meekness. Appreciation. A sense of awe at God’s goodness. When’s the last time you responded to God with this kind of humility. When was the last time you said to God — I don’t deserve this. Who am I that you have brought me this far? May we have that kind of humility.

2. We should respond with commitment. “There is no one like you and there is no God but you.” You know this to be true, but in the living of life we get confused and distracted. We pursue gods which satisfy for a time but leave us helpless and looking for greater answers.

   a. We pursue relationships for the sense of security and belonging which comes with that relationship but the relationship takes us away from our commitment to the Father.

   b. We pursue work hoping that it will provide a sense of purpose but the work leads us to deny our commitment to the Father because we spend more and more time seeking purpose.

   c. We pursue accumulation of things believing that things will make life more comfortable only to see our commitment to the Father gets fuzzy because the things must be cared for if one is to have them.

   d. When was the last time that you said there was no other god but the one true God and examined that in light of your checkbook, the way you spend your time, and the ways you demonstrate that truth in the way you treat people at work, school, and home.

3. We are undeserving of God’s greatest gift — Jesus. Does that gift result in a response of humility and commitment as it did with David? Gifts are wonderful for they help us to realize the kindness and grace of the giver. How do we explain God’s greatest gift? We can’t but we can give our lives to him. Invitation.

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