In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the importance of how our lives will be recorded by the Spirit of God. He shares a personal experience of walking through a cemetery and reading the psalms on the tombstones, emphasizing the brevity of life and the significance of what God will write about us. The speaker then highlights the example of David, who was chosen by God to prepare a house for Him. He emphasizes the need for dedication and progress in our lives, surrendering our own thrones and allowing God to rule over us individually and collectively as His people.

I'd like to read from 1 Chronicles. 1 Chronicles. Chapter 11. The 4th and the 5th verses. And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jehovah, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. And the inhabitants of Jehovah said to David, Thou shalt not come here. But David took the stronghold of Zion, which is the city of David. Chapter 15 of 1 Chronicles. The first 3 verses. And he made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the Ark of God, and spread a tent for it. Then David said, None ought to carry the Ark of God, but the Levites. For them hath Jehovah chosen to carry the Ark of God, and to serve him for ever. And David assembled all Israel to Jerusalem, to bring up the Ark of Jehovah to its place, that he had prepared for them. Chapter 21. Chapter 21, beginning with verse 21. And David came to Onan. And Onan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. And David said to Onan, Grant me the place of the threshing floor, that I may build an altar in it to Jehovah. Grant it to me for the full money, that the place may be saved from the people. And Onan said to David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his pleasure. See, I give thee oxen for the burnt offering, and the precious ledges for wood, and the wheat for the oblation. I give it all. And king David said to Onan, No, but I will in any case buy them for the full money, for I will not take that which is dying for Jehovah, to offer up a burnt offering without cost. And David gave to Onan for the place in shackles of gold, the weight of six hundred shackles. And David built there an altar to Jehovah, an altar of burnt offering and peace offering. And called upon Jehovah, and he answered him from the heavens by fire, upon the altar of burnt offering. And Jehovah spoke to the angel, and he put up his sword again into the sheath. At that time, when David saw that Jehovah had answered him in the threshing floor of Onan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there. And the tabernacle of Jehovah, which Moses had built in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in a high place at Gedeon. But David could not go before this to inquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of Jehovah. Chapter 22, verse 1. And David said, This is the house of Jehovah Elohim, and this is the altar of burnt offering for... We know that the life of David is recorded in 1st and 2nd Samuel, and also in 1st Chronicles. Aside from the nine chapters in 1st Chronicles, which deal with genealogy, the rest of that book is occupied wholly with David. But there is a difference between these two records. If you want to know the full history of David, you go to 1st and 2nd Samuel. David's life was very full. He had many experiences. He went through many crises. And to know the full history of David, you have to go to 1st and 2nd Samuel. But when the Spirit of God records David's life in 1st Chronicles, you find that he omits a number of things, which are very interesting in David's life. It seems as if the Spirit of God tried to present the life of David to us with a specific viewpoint in 1st Chronicles. The general history is given in 1st and 2nd Samuel. But that specific viewpoint of the Holy Spirit concerning David's life is found in 1st Chronicles. So I think it is of vital importance to us to discover what that specific viewpoint is. Otherwise we may miss what the Spirit of God is trying to say to us. I believe if you read 1st Chronicles, if you try to read it through at one sitting, so that you may see the connection, I believe after you have read 1st Chronicles of the life of David, you will very quickly come to see one thing. And that is, God took him from the pasture ground and put him on the throne. His whole life was just for one purpose. All that God had given to him, all the grace, the glory, the position, the power, the wealth, the trials, everything that came to the life of David seemed to prepare him for just to do one thing. And that thing, of course, in 1st Chronicles is very evident. That is, God raised him up to prepare for the building of God. That is the only viewpoint of the Holy Spirit concerning David's life in 1st Chronicles. I wonder if the Spirit of God is going to present your life and if He is going to present your life with that specific viewpoint, how much can be recorded? I feel sometimes it's very tragic. I remember when I was in Shanghai. Shanghai was a big city. It's a big city like New York. And in that big city, where can you go? It's all of cement. It's all houses. But nearby where I live, I have to say was, because probably no longer there, a cemetery. And I just loved to walk through the cemetery because it was so quiet. And when I walked through the cemetery, I liked to read the tombstones. And you come to many tombstones on which you have nothing but the name of that person. And then two lines. Born, month, day, and year. And died, month, day, and year. As if there was nothing to be mentioned of this month. I'm not worried about what is recorded on earth. But what concerns me is, what is the Spirit of God is going to write in your life? And how much He can put down. You may have done a lot of things on earth. Good things. Religious things. Correct things. Commendable things. You may have achieved a lot on earth. But when God is going to write your life, and He's going to write your life with a specific viewpoint, and I do believe that specific viewpoint is something that God really is looking for in your life. Now, how much of it can be recorded? David was raised up by God to serve God's purpose in his generation. How? By doing the will of God. And what was the will of God for him? To confess. Applying it to us today. We are born. We are redeemed. We have been given much grace, mercy, love, glory. What are all these for? Is there a purpose of God? And what is? What is it that God is really looking for in us? What is it that He is really looking for in this age? Or in this age? Now, I do believe, dear brothers and sisters, we all know that God has... There is an overall supreme purpose of God. Paul called it the purpose of the ages. The eternal purpose of God in His Son, Christ Jesus. And what is it? God is looking for... God is looking for a home. Can I put it this way? You remember Solomon said, The heaven and the heaven of heaven cannot contain me. May I put it this way? The heaven probably is His office. But not His home. God is looking for a home. God is looking for a dwelling place. Where He can really rest and be fully satisfied. And we know that. The purpose of God concerning man is He wants to make man His dwelling place. He wants to make man His house. He wants to find His eternal home in man. He wants to be united with man. He wants to have communion with man. He wants to have a perfect union and communion with man. He wants to find His rest in man. And He wants to be fully satisfied with His God. This is why we are created. This is why we are redeemed. This is why we are tested. Even tempted. This explains everything that comes in our life. Why? Because God is looking for His house. Not a physical one. But made with made stuff. Where He can dwell in peace, in rest, and in full satisfaction. And as Brother Sparks will put it, this is the meaning of glory. When God is satisfied, then you see glory. It is said in the Word of God, that Abraham, he became a stranger, a sojourner, in the Promised Land. If he wanted to go back to his native country, he could do that. Just cross the Euphrates River, and he will be back in Ur of Chaldea. But it was said of him, he was looking for a city with salvation. With God. I often hear people say, if you believe in the Lord Jesus, you will not go to hell, but you will go to heaven. I believe that. Where is it? You know, according to the Bible, you have the first heaven, which is the sky. The blue sky. That's the first heaven. You have the second heaven, of course. You're looking for earth, where the stars are. And you have the third heaven, where God's throne is set. When we say, if you believe in the Lord Jesus, you will go to heaven. Now, which heaven do you mean? You mean to go to the first heaven, the sky? And the last comfort, we shall all be gathered in the cloud, that is the sky, the heaven of your home. Or are we to go to a star? Certainly not. And are we going to the third heaven, where the throne of God is set, to be in His office? What do you mean by you go to heaven? What is heaven? Where are you going? I'm not trying to take away your heaven. Don't be afraid of that. But I feel we need to. Really. What do we need when we say we will go to heaven? If I'm wrong, please correct me. I think probably the heaven that we are talking about. One day we will go to heaven. One day we will be in glory. Forever. Now, what is it? If you read the New Testament, the only conclusion so far as I can see is the New Jerusalem. In the new heaven and the new earth. Now, that is heaven to us. That is our permanent home. The New Jerusalem. What is the New Jerusalem? Heaven. That is heaven to us. But, dear brothers and sisters, anywhere, just looking for that city, no doubt, is the New Jerusalem. Because the New Jerusalem is a city with concordations, which God has prepared. God is building this city. God is building this home for us. But do you know that it is a mutual home? The home that God is preparing for us is the very home that we are preparing for God. God is preparing heaven for us. And we are not only the materials for that heaven, but we are called to work together with God to build. It is God's home. And it is ours. Suppose somebody builds a house and then gives the key to you and says, it's yours. Oh, that's good. You don't need to do anything. The house is ready made and given to you. You enjoy it. Or if somebody asks you to help him to build a house and after the work is finished he gives the key to you and says, it's yours. Now which do you enjoy more? The house that you have nothing to do. Somebody built for you and you just enjoy it. Or the house that you have a part in it. I think probably you will enjoy heaven more if there is a part in it. God's purpose is to dwell in man. Behold the tabernacle. God is to dwell among man. God is to be so satisfied with man that he can live. And then now I have found my house. I have found my home. And at the same time we arrive because he arrives. Dear brothers and sisters, I wonder if you see in this way will not heaven be war? I think much is involved there. But, of course, I just throw it out. I hope you will consider before the Lord and if you think I'm wrong I'm over it. But anyway here you'll find God raised up David for one thing. To prepare a house for him. And as you know very well when he is preparing he was preparing for God's house God said, I will be a dropper. It's a mutual thing. And I do believe, dear brothers and sisters that God has a definite calling for his people. He is calling us to build him. To build him a permanent house. And the wisdom of God is such that as we think we are building him a house actually he is building us a house. Those chronicles of the life of David you'll find the whole record of David's life in the first chronicles is related to that one thing. And if you should take that one thing away from first chronicles David did nothing. And he did nothing. Of course he did many things. But they were not related to that one thing. Brothers and sisters I often wonder we may do many things on earth but when it comes down to that one viewpoint that purpose of God of the ages I wonder how many things that we have done or I wonder how many have eternal life. I think it is to share with you. We start from this. David as soon as he ascended to the throne over all Israel he started to do this. And there are three things. Number one he went to take Jerusalem. Number two he removed the ark of God to Zion. Number three he built an altar on Mount Moriah. Now these three things were at the circumference. But these three things were very closely related with the beauty. Now first of all you find in the record of 1 Chronicles it seems as if as soon as David was anointed king over all Israel he was king over Judah for seven years in Hebron. And he went to take Jerusalem. Why did he do that? Why was it so important to him? Hebron had a wonderful history. Why not stay in Hebron? Why must he go to take Jerusalem? Why did he bother to do that? Brothers and sisters I believe his move was more than a political move. There must be a spiritual reason behind it. And Jerusalem as we find later on became such a symbol. Became such an attachment to those who love God. Oh Jerusalem if I ever forget you let my right hand forget his heel. Let my tongue cling to my upper jaw. The love of Jerusalem among those who love the Lord was such. There must be a special reason why David should go and take Jerusalem at his first move. He had to go back hundreds of years. And God took Israel. Brought them through the wilderness. Brought them to the border of the promised land. And then in Deuteronomy God told the children of Israel after you have entered into the promised land and I give you rest then one place of all the places will be set apart. And in that place I will set mine. All of you people must go to that place to offer sacrifice. You cannot offer sacrifice in any other place. Not like when you were traveling in the wilderness. Everyone did what was right in his own sight. But after you got to the promised land and I had chosen my place to put my name and all of you must go to that place to sacrifice. If you want to eat beef or lamb, mutton or what? You may kill the animals and eat them in your city. But if you want to sacrifice to the Lord you have to go to that place. The children of Israel entered into the promised land under judgment. The tabernacle of God was first settled down at Shiloh. It was there for a long time. Then the ark was captured by the Philistines. When the ark returned to the children of Israel it never went back to Shiloh. It was put aside in the field of the forest. Hidden. Unknown. Unsought. Forgotten. And even the tabernacle with the brazen altar was removed from Shiloh to Eden. In other words for hundreds of years that one place where God will set His name was unknown. Nobody knew where that place was. And because nobody knew everyone did what was right in Israel. The children of Israel were scattered. They were not really one nation under God. They were separated, divided, scattered. There wasn't that unity. When David came to the floor the first thing he did, I believe being a man after God's own heart somehow he received a revelation that Jerusalem was the place where God's name will be set. And to Jerusalem all the tribes will go as a testimony to Israel. To give thanks that you'll find peace. So David took Jerusalem. Not for himself. As the first preparation for the house. Because the temple was to be built in Jerusalem. And over there. Dear brothers and sisters God is building Israel. He is calling us to cooperate with him. He is doing it. On the one hand it is God will do it. But on the other hand we are called. It is more than just sane materials you have. As a matter of fact it is building now on earth. We must find Jerusalem. Set up. The city of peace. In Ephesians chapter 2 you'll find Christ is our peace. Without Christ we are divided. We are in enmity one with another. The whole world is scattered. Since sin has entered into this world. There is no wholeness. There is no unity. There is no peace. It is hostility all around. The world is divided. It is chaotic. Full of discrimination. Distinction. Prejudice. Divided according to race. Divided according to social status. Divided according to education. Divided according to religion and so on and so forth. And of course the strongest division and hostility is that of religion. The Jews and the Gentiles. More than just a matter of race it is a matter of religion. And in Ephesians chapter 2 you'll find this hostility, this division between the Jews and the Gentiles is insurmountable. There is no way to reconcile the Jews and the Gentiles. The Gentiles were not allowed to enter into the peace. There was a war on the cross of our Lord. He has done away all these hostilities. Division. Broken into pieces. And He is our peace. He has made us one in Him. One human at peace with God. At peace with our fellow dear brothers and sisters. He is our Salem. He is our Jerusalem. And you'll find it is said in Matthew chapter 18 where two or three are gathered together unto my name. There am I. Where He says this, brothers and sisters, I do believe that as we trust in the Lord, He has given us peace. And He is our peace. And being at peace with God we come together unto His name. His name is the only name. God has not given us any other name but the name of our Lord Jesus. By His name we are saved. We call upon His name. We are a people called by His name. And we are assembled unto His name. There is no other name. And as you read the book of Acts in the beginning, people do not know who they are. Only know they are a people who call upon the name. They make in the name of the Lord. They preach in the name of the Lord. They pray in the name of the Lord. They glorify God in the name of the Lord Jesus. That is it. The people of the name. They have no other name. Dear brothers and sisters, as we gather together unto His name. There is no division. There is no separation. There is a unity. In that Paul in 1 Corinthians and Saul in the Corinthians say that you think I am of Paul. I am of Apollo. I am of Cephas. And even I am of Christ exclusively. Paul says He is. All brothers and sisters, Christ is our people. And we have no other name. You remember in Revelation chapter 3 the Lord in His estimation of the church in Philadelphia. He said you have no deny. In other words with the church in Philadelphia the believers took the name of the Lord very seriously. And aside from the name of the Lord they will have no other name. Why so serious? Because the name represents the truth. To be called by His name means we belong together. And nobody else. To be gathered together unto His name means we are under His authority. And His authority I love. And dear brothers and sisters, is it not true? When God's people really honor His name, and honor His name, we are one. Because we will belong together. We are all under His authority. This is have we taken to Him. Are we in Jerusalem? I think this is the first thing Paul prepared us. The beauty. Then secondly, after David took Jerusalem then he consulted with the people. And he said the art of God was literally forgotten. It was hidden in the field of the forest during the days of Saul. He did not inquire at the art. He had no luck for God. But as you find in Psalm, David says, we have found it. In the field of the forest David found the art. So after he took Jerusalem, the next thing he did, he said, let's remove the art to the city of David to Zion. To the city that I have prepared for you. Now without going into the details, because these are other lessons, but we will just concentrate on this one point, and that is, David removed the art to Zion. Now what is Zion? Zion is one of the hills upon which the city of Jerusalem is built. Zion is the highest of the hills of Jerusalem. There is the meaning of elevation in Zion. And Zion is the place where David has his house. So in other words, Zion certainly here represents royalty, spiritual elevation, authority. That's what Zion represents. Because the rule of God comes forth from Zion. God rules from Zion. And David says, the ark of God must be. The ark of God represents the glory of God, the presence of God. When the ark of God was forgotten and hidden in the field of the forest, it means that God's people were not under the authority of God. They lived by themselves. They just neglected completely God's place in their lives. They did what they thought was right. They did not inquire before God. But when the ark was removed to Mount Zion, David was actually proclaiming that he was just a representative for God. The real king over Israel is God. Brothers and sisters, humanly speaking, it wasn't an easy move. David built his parish in Zion. There he ruled the children of Israel. How free he was! But he knew that was not a real thing. He knew that God must be in his proper place among his people. And as God was restored to his proper place in the life of the nation, the nation was not in touch. He was unrepresentative. Oh, how he humbled himself and allowed God to sit on the throne as he were. And because of that, the whole nation was put under a theocracy as God first designed it. I believe as a preparation for the building of God's house, this is necessary for us. Unless God is sit on the throne of our house, unless God rules over us collectively, it's no use to speak of building God a house. There's no possibility. How we need to humble ourselves. Oh, how we need to step down from our throne and put God in our lives to know him. And this is not only a personal matter. This ought to be wherever God's people really come together and put themselves under. I remember what Brother said, and I'll always remember that because I feel he said, nothing builds up God's people than truth. Life. Unique life. The life of Christ. You need to know him. The power of his resurrection. Fellowship with his sufferings. Being conformed to his death. You need to know him. And as you know him, then you need to know authority. Oh, how we need to know life. We will know authority. Because the life of Christ, is the life of obedience. And obedience. So brothers and sisters here, you'll find the second thing is alongside. God must be put in his rightful place. He is our life. He is our life together. Or is it that our life together is something different than our life individually with the Lord. That's where the problem is. That is the second thing. But you know, there is the third thing. And this happens in a very strange way. God prospered David wherever he went. So he had many years. One day he wanted to number the kingdom of Israel. The reason why he wanted to number the kingdom of Israel was out of his pride. He wanted to know how strong he was. He was strong, yes. But he wanted to know how strong he was. What was the strength of his army? Of his people? It was not only a matter of pride. It was a matter of unbelief. Because God promised Abraham to let the children of Abraham as the stars in the heavens and as the sand on the sea floor, number that conquest. But David wanted to count it a number. Why? Because God was unbelief. So you remember the whole story. God disappeared. And he prayed for three days over the whole land. And when the angel where his sword was over the city of Jerusalem, God appeared. David saw the angel. So he prostrated before God and said, Lord it's my turn. Stand up and strike me. So God said, you go to the place where the angel built an altar. So David went to Mount Moriah. That was Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah was another hill upon which Jerusalem was built. Mount Moriah means the shone of God. God appeared. And there in the threshing floor of Onan he built an altar of Avernus. And he said, this is how close brothers and sisters Mount Moriah has. The first time you find Moriah was in the life of Abraham. When Abraham was old God forgot poor Abraham to go to Moriah and offer his son Isaac without hesitation. Abraham rose up early the next morning. He took Isaac, the knife, the wood and he traveled to Moriah three days later. And when he climbed up the hill of Moriah he built an altar there. He bound his son and he raised his knife. But God said, now I know that you do fear because you have not withheld anything from me not even. And there God made a covenant with him even with Onan. Now that was the first time Moriah was mentioned in that covenant. The message is clear. Mount Moriah utter devotion to God. Complete love with all the heart. Love God more than anything else. That is Mount Moriah brothers and sisters. To build the house of God we must surrender ourselves in utter devotion. We must not withhold anything. It is not how much you give it is how much you withhold. And there Abraham withheld nothing. Not even Isaac. Upon whom all the promises of God to him will be fulfilled. But Abraham was willing to offer everything to God. In other words he loved God more than anything else. Of course he did. God raised Isaac. Now brothers and sisters this is what God requires of us. We must consecrate. There must be an order of consecration. There must be a devotion to him. A love to him more than anything else. Not withholding or reserving anything. And it is there you will find God will fill it. Mount Moriah means something more. In the case of David you will find Mount Moriah is the place where he was a completely broken people. He had sinned. He was disciplined. He was completely broken before God in repentance. He said Lord he is neither dead of people but broken. It is complete and there an order. You know flesh and floor in the scripture always speaks of the cross. Because the flesh and floor is the place where the wheat is separate. The dividing of the spirit and the soul is the working of the flesh. And here you will find on the flesh and floor an altar for him. In other words, David was disciplined by the Lord. He was completely broken before him. And out of that brokenness that deep working of the cross in his life an altar of God on earth was found. When we really are doing the test. Not that God wants us to fail. But as you look back to your own experience you will find you are completely no doubt about it. Does that mean that the answer? God is going to do something. He is to discipline you. And out of that brokenness he is going. It seems apparent. In Isaiah chapter 66 you remember the word there. Thus says Jehovah, the heaven is on my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that ye would build unto me? And what is the place of my rest? Even all these things hath my hand made. And all these things have been, saith Jehovah. But to this man will I look. To the afflicted and contracting spirit and would tremble. Where is God's house? What is the place of his rest? Not a heaven not a earth but a broken and contrite house. All brothers and sisters, you know sometimes you meet people who say they have consecrated themselves to the Lord. They also utter for the Lord. And it looks like that way. And yet there is a heart. In other words they are doing things for the Lord. You meet them you do not meet the Lord. You cannot doubt their dedication. They seem to be very strong. And yet somehow it doesn't it doesn't manifest the spirit of Christ. Can God build his house on such a? There needs to be dedication. It is only there you find dedication. She said, that's the place. This is my house. This is the house on which I will build. So brothers and sisters here you'll find on the circumference everywhere David is buried. He took Jerusalem where God's name was. He removed the ark and he built an altar. Jerusalem is connected. Zion is connected with his throne. Moriah and brothers and sisters it is his name his throne and it is the groundwork. May the Lord lead us to Mount Sinai. And I do believe that the Lord will be there. And as he's leading us to these places you will find a groundwork. Heavenly Father we do desire to be like thy servant David who served because otherwise we do want to be that we may come we find our peace we hold fast we become one people the name and Lord we do bow we want thee to sit on the throne of our lives individually and collectively and Lord we do want to set up an altar. Oh may there be absolute surrender. Oh we do desire that thou wilt found just like him. We do praise and thank thee because we know thou art doing this work.