In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of David and highlights four key aspects. Firstly, David hears a word from God and decides not to go to war. Secondly, the preacher emphasizes the importance of being alone with God and seeking His guidance. Thirdly, the sermon touches on the concept of being a blessing to others and the need to show grace and power from heaven. Lastly, the preacher reflects on the greatness of Israel and the presence of the world among God's people. The sermon also references specific chapters in the Bible, such as 2nd Psalm, to support the teachings.

I'm going to read to you in 2 Samuel 5, David's coronation. All Israelians, here you come, to make him clean. Chapter 6, David's complaint. What did he complain about? They were off the power. What a mess when you know that. Where's the offer? On the offer always indicated the power of God. And his offer's gone, after he was made king, chapter 5. Chapter 6, where are they off? Power's gone. The tragedy in the life of a man or a woman, young or old, preacher included, is such a tragedy when he doesn't know. It's lost. Chapter 7, David's communion. This is holy communion. It is not the hypocritical holy communion that's all around us. This is communion. Then, I will begin to read, will you please. 2 Samuel, chapter 7, and verse 17, 18. Then, notice the then, will you please. Then went King David in, and sat before the Lord. And he said, talking to himself, Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house? That thou hast brought me thereto. And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God. But thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house. For it did it while to come. And is this the manner of men, O Lord God? Or is this the way man would treat me? And what can David say more unto thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. For thy work's sake, word's sake, and according to thine own heart, thou hast done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. For thou art great, O Lord God. For there is none like thee, neither is there any god beside thee. According to all that we have heard all our years, and what one nation in earth reflects thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, to make them a name. They do for you great things, incredible for thy land, for thy people, as thou redeemest thee from the land of Egypt. That's all I'm going to read. If I've lost fellowship with God, and I don't know what God put in me, only God knows where I'm going to end. If you've lost fellowship with God in your home, or in your house, or with your wife, or with your husband, take it in God's name for a man after sixty-three years, and the rest will go on to heaven. Put on the breast! Put on the breast! Attend to this one thing. I have lost my power. When I get it back, where did the young man get the head of the hatchet that he lost? Just where he left it. I'll mind you, when the head of the hatchet was gone, the power was gone. And he can slug away at a tree the rest of his life with a handle of a hatchet, but he'll never cut down a tree. Where's the power? You can't buy it, brethren. You'll not get it out of books, as old books may help you, but get down to God's good book and let Him speak to you. David, I'm not going to go over the things we've possibly heard so often from chapters. David, what David thought of himself, Who am I, O Lord God? I never was a Christian worth anything, preacher included, until I learned my nothingness, my emptiness, my good-for-nothingness. Then there's a chance of God. You've never learnt that God teaches to you, and me as well. These few verses I've read, I'm not going to stay up, and I'm not going to say I won't be long, for I don't know how long I'll be, but I won't be any longer than I can have. First thing David left, said, O nothingness. The next thing was God's greatness. O God, thou art great. And the third thing was Israel's greatness. And God will, in spite of everybody, put Israel back on the throne in Jerusalem in the millennium, put His blessed Son on the throne. You go into the tribulation, you can go ahead. I'm not coming. That's clear enough. I want you to notice this briefly, you please. David's nothingness. Now that ruins the pride. We shouldn't have any pride. When a squirt drops a devil cast out of heaven, it's an abominable thing, it's a hateful thing, it's obnoxious thing. Pride. Who am I, O Lord God? Picture the man a minute. Not long ago, he's a shepherd's boy, mending a few sheep on the hills of Judea. A son of a poor man. Here I am, on the throne of Israel, God's earthly kingdom, and I'm on the throne. Who am I, Lord God? Why am I not in hell long ago? Now that's enough. Next thing I learned was Israel's greatness. And the fourth thing I learned was Egypt's emptiness. And Egypt's a picture of the world. And I never knew in all my life the world is in amongst God's people. That I see just now. I'm speaking slowly, plainly, and definitely. After 64 years almost, of wrestling on to heaven, I've never seen the world amongst God's dear people, in a person, in the home, and elsewhere, as I do just now. Are you conscious about it? Are you conscious about it? Is there anything in your home when a neighbor comes in, or somebody else comes in, the electricity man, or the gas man, or the coal man, is there anything in your house to attract his attention? Is home different from anybody else? Is it real though? I'm not going to preach from these four things. I'm just going to preach from, I'll tell you when I'm finished. But notice this, well, after David went in, then, don't take it back in a hurry, you're splitting it into sections, then, when, after the Lord's victory, after victory and power, after power, no, after God said, no, David, I'll not allow you to build me a house, but I'll build you one, which he did, after God said to David, no, then, went in there with him, and he sat, he's going to stay a while, never stay too long in the neighbor's house, it'll end in gossip, and that will spread the world over. Think of the man, as well as the woman, you know, who God sends us there, don't forget, it's not your own. And I don't know any better way you can spend it than with your Bible, asking God to help you to find out there may be some little thing in your heart that you don't know about, or mine too, or some little thing in your direction that has grieved the Spirit of God, and has grieved somebody else, and has grieved somebody else, then you ought to go and confess it to them, get forgiveness from them, and from God as well. Then went in there with him, and he sat, he's going to stay a while. I want you to see the result of David sitting in God's presence, next to the roots, it was no doubt, chapter 7, the result of David sitting in God's presence alone, and sisters, when will we learn to pray, and pray again? Men and women will be damned yet around it, or as I recall, large peoples living, worldly men and women, and our worldly lives. The Lord's coming, what are we doing about it? First thing happened after David sat in God's presence was victory. You need that. Who do you do? Throw maybe over yourself to a bad temple or something. You may be as pious as a Pope at the Lord's table, or you may be a man on a platform, but what am I in my home? David just through sitting in God's presence, first of all, confessed, read chapter 8 a little, he spoke the first time, he smoked a whole lot more than I'm not going over them now, and all fell before David, but after he sat in God's presence. You can't contradict me when I tell you that you know what I'm speaking is going to be a fact. Maybe you want a victory in your own home, or when you conquer, or your wife, or your husband, victory for any heart alone but God and no other place to go. Remember a man and a woman and they were a good pair, they weren't young, they were same, both in the assembly. A little boy, I think about three years of age, and then you'd be surprised to know what a nook is at three years of age if I teach you some of them. There's a bit of a quarrel I'll not describe it but tell you between this big a man and his wife, and it's more than likely to bring with you a wife too, if everything was known. Never try to make yourself believe you are somebody, better than somebody else. God knows a heart. The little fella was in his cot sleeping and he heard this loud talking. And so it was too early in the morning for him. So before he got up on his knees he looked over the edge of the crib and his father was speaking a bit loudly to his wife. Little Lord knew that wasn't the way that he spoke to her generally. That wasn't the way she spoke to him generally. At last the man was excited and said something he shouldn't have said. And the little boy said, Daddy, say a prayer. I'm saying that to you and I'm saying it to myself. I have no right to preach to you what I don't practice. And mind you I didn't fall down from Jupiter, you all know me. You know where I live to. First thing after a day was sitting in God's presence with victory. The fullest thing. The Moabites. Where did the Moabites come from? The Moabites and the Ammonites. But the two sons of God from his two daughters came to desert to Rehob, Syria to Damascus. And he'd go in the morning and they'd all fall before David after he sat in God's presence. How did I have my life to live over again? I don't think I will. I would pray more than ever I've read or preached. I've been preaching for 44 years. I said to all of his brethren and sisters, let us get going this afternoon to business with God. It's not what I've got in my head, but what I've got in my heart. I said, can't you preach on God Almighty, brethren? He's not allowed you to do it. You can pretend to do what you like, but mark this, it's only God who knows the heart. I asked David, tell him, you try a bit more of it. I've been trying the last few weeks. God put me in the hospital for a month on the number of the Jewish way to live. And I've been trying this last few months to get going to the praying that's never before. I'm without it. I can only be a hidden sacrifice. God said, I'm praying. I'm not praying I'm a charnel man or I'm a charnel woman. It's a pity to fall five feet short for my Lord is coming. How's it going in your parish? How's it going in your home? Three white geese flying up the walls, no good to anybody coming in. Have you never got a test of God's Word you used to have them? Has anybody came to the front door without getting in the house and called over to your test? It might keep them out of hell so you'll be prior. A man said to me, I was on a black street the other day and he said, Frank, what are you doing here? I said, I'm trying to keep the people out of hell. That's the bitterness of every believer. My preaching, my singing, my everything goes for nothing. This is the practical end of it. And I've not got, I have nothing and I'm a hypocrite for being on the platform. Next thing now is chapter nine. After he sat in God's presence he feels compassion. Then you can all do whatever you want with that. Another old man comes over to a long day and he did that and I know what that meant. And I give him something. A bad-tongued old rascal. And he says, yes, I knew you would give me something but those people over there professing their Christian they give me my job. That's their business not mine. You get out through the gate. See that? He has compassion. Very good. A mighty man. Lord, power of His grace. Where is my fellowship? A poor cripple. I will put him in an old home some place. Where is my fellowship? The son of David's greatest enemy. What did he say to him? Go and follow my fellowship. I want to see him. I'd like him to come and spend an afternoon with me and ask him to go and fetch him down from the mountain. I said, get him down to go and fetch him. I'm sure the poor man is stripping his boots to be hard on him. I never got the word David wants to hear. For he's very likely going to cut me to pieces. Because I'm a fellowship. David's the son of David's greatest enemy. David's compassion and he could do with more than that. There's a lot of God to see your people could do with a little bit more compassion. You think about that. You sit in your own comfortable home and thank God but if you don't, you ought to do. Think about God's people that are just as dear in the heart of God as you are and have him also in a particular sense. Compassion. Go and fetch the fellowship. You and I want a little bit more compassion. You're all not alone with God in prayer. Night or day or both. And in that you can't sleep that's the time to pray and pray plenty. And be thankful to God for the opportunity for a time may come when you'll not be able to pray and the heavens are like glass and you can't tell why. God's just trying to see how you can get on without praying, without calling you by him. If you can do that well God pity you. You might need to be born again. Now the next thing is that after David's compassion for Purim of the bishop I'm not going to say how David's sympathy stopped a turn. And he said to his servant go and tell the heathen, the king of the Ammonites go and tell him his son I'm going to sympathize with him for his father is dead. This created sitting with David, sitting with God, created sympathy, pity. King of the heathen, king of the Ammonites, king, the foreign king, but David owed him a compliment for his men took care of David's men one time. And David didn't forget that. And he sent three messengers I think, of the Ammonites to go and sympathize, convey sympathy, condolence, consolation, whatever you like to put it. Go and tell the dead king's son convey his sympathy to him. And these three men went there and let many an old foolish king to listen to the cluck-cluck of his friends instead of listening to God's words. Many a king did that, even David did do that. Upon his friends, the king, the king's, dead king's son listened to the princes. And they said, do you think David sent the sympathy? You're not that foolish, are you? It's only sent these men spies, to spy out the land. And boy and boy he come in and make us all right. And this young man listened to these men of his princes. And what was the result? He took David's men and treated them shamefully. But didn't the fact David showed them his good consolation or condolence? And what did David want? What note was this? He shaved off half their beards and he put the shoes off of their mothers. And the men were ashamed. It's a pity a lot of women weren't ashamed. It was a shock though. These men were ashamed. And David heard them. He sent them home. Polly and Jericho. She appeared to be cold. Not going to go on a war. I've said before you what I believe God did on my heart. The change that being alone with God makes. And most of you know if you don't God pity you. I would advise you to get down to the business this very night for the change it takes in my life. In my heart. In my home. With the neighbors. And when you get some nasty neighbors. Well you'll get grace and help and power from heaven. So be a blessing to them. That's what your life's here for. To be a blessing. And I'm not a blessing. And why? What's the use of my living? And whatever. Not because you will get a job but not tonight. In the meeting or after the meeting who were preaching in Toronto one time in a very big posh assembly. I got the idea in my head that I was somebody from some place. And so we're preaching this great big place and a great assembly and a good assembly. I don't mind what I preached on. But I know you'll have an idea of what's in it or what I may know of on. Something for them just now. And after the meeting was over I went down to sit down with the ladies and gentlemen. And one great big lady came down and man I was thankful to God she wasn't my way she was an awful bully. And she come right to me and she said, Gee, Mr. Knox you preached at me all night. And I said God's woken this man to conscience. I stood and said nothing and maybe it's hard to say nothing sometimes. And I looked all up and maybe I can look at people when I like. And I said nothing. And she said, You pointed at me. And you looked at me. Why you can't look at me without looking at somebody brother. The woman lost her temper why this wasn't God's shoulder or thing while the meeting was going on. She didn't make nothing of me she went right across to the other side of the aisle. She went to another big lady that was there. She went over to the man and she said, Will you for God's sake forgive me. Go and find me out in the meeting tonight. Might find somebody out in this meeting tonight. Man it'll be a great blessing. God bless this holy woman she said, A man that needs it most who lost myself. I have no right whatever to preach to people when I don't practice. Or whatever they need more than they need. Just these three things about David particularly. His compassion. Chapter 9 over in Matthew. His compassion. Over in Matthew. His condolence to King Hanun. King Hanun, King of the Aramaic. And not only that. But his sympathy. His grace. His pity. His power. Then went King David. Asked for God. Said no. I'll not let you build me a house. I'll build you one. And I'll let your son Solomon build a house. And I wouldn't preach on Solomon for all life or nothing. The best king that ever reigned. The wisest man. The wealthiest man. First came Solomon. And God was on him. Why?