King of the Jews (1st Advent) - Pastor Dave Klassen

We are in Advent, asking, “What shall we name the baby?” and Scripture answers: Jesus, the Son of David, the true King. From 2 Samuel 7, God promised David a dynasty that would endure forever—not a single project or one generation, but a kingdom that would outlast time. That promise reaches back even further to Judah in Genesis 49: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah… until Shiloh comes,” a prophetic thread pointing to Christ. David wanted to build a temple, but God said no. Instead of sulking, David sat before the Lord in awe and worship, recognizing God’s “forever” plan, and he spent his remaining years gathering materials so his son could build. That posture—receiving God’s no with worship and contributing anyway—teaches us how to live when our deepest desires are redirected.

We also see a foreshadowing: David the warrior and Solomon the peacemaker. Solomon’s peace points forward to the Prince of Peace. When Bartimaeus cried, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,” he wasn’t just using a title—he was confessing Jesus as the promised King. Matthew underlines this with history itself: three groups of fourteen generations from Abraham to David, David to the exile, and exile to Christ. Even the number 14 (the numerical value of David’s name) signals that God’s covenant threads faithfully through real families, real time, real records.

Psalm 89 presses this further: God swore by His holiness not to lie to David. The throne would stand as sure as sun and moon. So what do we do with a God who keeps promises across centuries? We yield to His direction, even when it differs from our plans. We become what 1 Peter 2 calls “living stones,” a spiritual house where God dwells. If He says no, we worship. If He redirects, we gather materials for the next person. If He delays, we trust His forever. And we welcome Christ the King—David’s Son and David’s Lord—into the very structure of our lives.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s forever plan shapes today. God promised David a kingdom that would last forever, reorienting his hopes beyond a single project. When we live inside God’s larger horizon, setbacks lose their sting and obedience gains meaning. Faithfulness today is participation in His long story, not a chase for quick outcomes. [02:56]
• 2. Worship when God says no. David grieved the closed door, but he sat before the Lord in praise and then prepared resources for the temple he wouldn’t build. Joy returned when he treasured God’s presence more than his assignment. True surrender is not passive; it actively serves the promise beyond self. [07:53]
• 3. Jesus, the promised Son of David. Bartimaeus’ cry names Jesus as the royal heir who brings mercy as His kingdom’s signature. The Prince of Peace is not a sentimental idea; He is the rightful King who restores true order. To call Him “Son of David” is to bow to His authority and receive His healing reign. [12:27]
• 4. Faithfulness written into our history. Matthew’s genealogy—three sets of fourteen—says the story is not random; it is covenantal and precise. God threads hope through imperfect people, exiles, and delays until Christ arrives. Your life is not adrift; it’s being woven into the same faithful pattern. [14:13]
• 5. Become a living temple for God. If God makes us His dwelling, then character, worship, and hospitality matter. We are built together to host His presence, not just admire a building. Make your inner life an inviting place for the King. [26:37]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome

Bible Reading

Read 2 Samuel 7:12-16, 18-29. — 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the children of man, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.' 18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O LORD God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O LORD God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O LORD God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. 22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And what one nation in the earth is like your people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, and by making for yourself a name, as at this day? 24 And you, LORD, are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 25 "Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you. For you, O LORD, have blessed, and it is blessed forever." 26 And now I will give thanks to the LORD before all the people. And David said, "Blessed be you, LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever." 27 And let your name be magnified forever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel;' and let the house of your servant David be established before you. 28 For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, 'I will build you a house.' Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. 29 "Now therefore, O Lord, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant;

Observation Questions

1. What specific promises does God make in 2 Samuel 7:12–16 about David’s offspring, the “house,” and the throne? How literal or how broad do those promises read on first glance? (focus on the text)
2. How does David respond when he hears God’s plan that he will not build the temple but his son will? What words and actions does the chapter record about his posture before God? [07:13]
3. The sermon points out that people in Jesus’ day called him “Son of David” as a claim to the promised kingship (example: Bartimaeus). What about the 2 Samuel promise makes that title fitting for Jesus? [12:27]
4. The preacher noted Matthew’s three sets of fourteen generations as evidence of God’s covenant thread (Abraham → David → exile → Jesus). What detail from 2 Samuel helps make genealogies a meaningful proof of God’s plan? [14:13]

Interpretation Questions

1. What does the repeated phrase “forever” in 2 Samuel 7 indicate about God’s intent for David’s line? How should that language be understood in light of later fulfillment in Christ? (grounded in the passage)
2. The sermon suggests that God meant “house” more as a family/dynasty than a building. What implications follow if the chief gift to David was a people/line rather than a physical temple? (third-person, text-focused)
3. The pastor describes David’s reaction—worship and preparation rather than anger—and says that when God redirects a calling we should “gather materials for the next person.” How does David’s practical response (collecting materials) function theologically as faithful obedience? [22:44]
4. The sermon warns against assuming every closed door is failure and urges sober discernment when a calling seems to fail. What practical tests or signs should someone use to tell whether God is redirecting, delaying, or saying no? [24:10]

Application Questions

1. Recall a time when a door you expected God to open closed instead. What was your first reaction (anger, grief, quiet worship, resignation)? What step will you take this week to move from resentment toward worship like David did? [07:53]
2. Is there a ministry dream or specific calling you still want but hasn’t come to pass? Identify one concrete way you can “gather materials” for that calling or for the next person (e.g., train someone, document processes, save funds, build relationships). What will you do in the next 30 days? [22:44]
3. Who in your circle needs someone to point them to Jesus as King and Healer (a modern “Bartimaeus”)? Name one person and one concrete action (visit, invite to church, pray with them, share testimony) you will do this week to be present for them. [12:27]
4. The sermon connected Matthew’s genealogy to the idea that our lives are woven into God’s long story. What is one family or faith story from your past that shows God’s faithfulness? How will you preserve or pass that story on (write it down, record an interview, tell your children) in the next month? [14:13]
5. The preacher urges believers to become “living stones” (a spiritual house). Pick one inward habit or one hospitality practice you will intentionally work on to make your life more inviting to the King (examples: daily 10-minute silence, weekly hospitality dinner, regular confession/accountability). What exactly will you do, when, and how will you measure progress in 30 days? [26:37]
6. The sermon cautioned against declaring to God what you will never do and encouraged reconsideration when God nudges. Identify one thing you’ve been resisting that might be God’s leading. What is one small concrete step you’ll take this week to test that leading (a conversation with a pastor, a two-week trial commitment, a season of focused prayer)? [26:10]