A. The theme for this week’s VBS is Having A Heart Like David.

B. And this comes from the texts found in I Sam 13:14 and Acts 13:22 where the Lord says that David was a man after His own heart.

C. That’s a truly remarkable thing to have said about you that you are a man after God’s own heart. Especially, when you consider that David wasn’t perfect. He sinned several times in his life, yet the Lord was still able to say this about him.

D. That gives me great hope, as I hope it does you, because I know I’m not perfect but yet if I can mold my heart into one that we read about in David then I can be pleasing to God as well.

E. So I want to take just a few minutes this evening to look at some of the characteristics of David’s heart that our children are studying this week as well so we can know what the Lord is looking for from us.

F. The first characteristic is that David had a caring heart. David was a shepherd and he took great care of his sheep. I Sam 17:34-35

G. 4 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.

H. Secondly, David had a tender heart. David almost always inquired of the Lord and wanted to know God’s will. I Sam 23:2, 4

I. Therefore David finquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

J. Then David finquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, gfor I will give the Philistines into your hand.”

K. Also in 2 Sam 12:13 and Psalm 51 after David had committed his sin with Basheba we see that his heart is truly sorrowful and repentant.

L. In 2 Sam. 12: 13 he says I have sinned against the Lord

M. In Psalm 51 just to read a couple of phrases that David states here.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 cAgainst you, you only, have I sinned
Create in me a nclean heart, O God, and orenew a right2 spirit within me.

N. David also had a brave heart. I Sam 18:21

O. One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, pa man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, qand the Lord is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, rwho is with the sheep.” 20 sAnd Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21 And David came to Saul tand entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.

P. We also know that David was the only one who would fight the great Philistine Goliath

Q. I. Sam 17:24

R. All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid.

S. I Sam 17:32

T. 2 And David said to Saul, c“Let no man's heart fail because of him. dYour servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

U. I Sam 17: 49-50 we see David was able to kill the Philistine

V. 9 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. W. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. X. David also had a respectful heart.

Y. We know from I Sam 23:15 and several other verses that Saul had chased after David in order to kill him many times.

Z. And in chapter 24:6,7 David had the opportunity to kill Saul.

AA. But because of his respect for God and his respect for the position that Saul had as king he did not go through with it.

AB. Finally, David had a passionate heart.

AC. David was determined to return the ark of the covenant to its rightful place. 2 Sam 6:12-15

AD. fSo David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom gto the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when hthose who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, ihe sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David jdanced before the Lord with all his might. And David was kwearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

AE. David was passionate about bringing the ark of the covenant back home where it belonged.

AF. David had a heart like God’s for many reasons but the foremost of those was that David wanted to follow God, and when he fell short he asked for forgiveness and repented.

AG. If you’re here tonight and not a Christian I would ask that you would consider Acts 2:36- 38 where another group of people developed a heart just like David’s. It says there.

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that jGod has made him kboth Lord and Christ, this Jesus lwhom you crucified.” 37 Now when mthey heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, nwhat shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, o“Repent and pbe baptized every one of you qin the name of Jesus Christ rfor the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive sthe gift of the Holy Spirit. AH. So those who received his word were baptized, andzthere were added that day about three thousand souls.

AI. These people realized what they had done, they inquired what they needed to do, and Peter told them to repent and be baptized.

AJ. You can also do that this very evening.