DEVELOPED by DISCIPLINE            		   Pastor Bob Chroninger 
Trinity C.U.  4-26-98 A.M.    	 2 Samuel 24:1-25   	 A:\2SAM24-1 
	Have you discovered yet that many of the difficulties of life are 
      those of our own making?  How do you deal with the "disobediences"
      of your life? Here is one glimpse into the "ups and downs and ups" 
      in David's experience.  Notice the factors that were involved from 
      up to down to up again.  Someone has well said that Believers are 
      either up or getting up.... How about you? 
I.  DAVID IS DISOBEDIENT..  1-10 
  - Here it says God was angry.. and moved David.. 
  - 1 Chron. says Satan stood up against David.. (God sometimes uses Satan 
     to discipline believers)
  A. David Orders a Census.. 
    1. Against the better judgment of his leaders 
    2. Perhaps it was pride... the pressure was off...
	 - "a man's pride shall bring him low.."   Prov.29:23 
  B. David Is Condemned... after he disobeys 	(why not before?).. 10 
    1. His heart... conscience... 1Jn.3:20,21 
	- It is a GOOD thing to feel Condemnation when you sin...
	- If you can sin without condemnation... you have a BIG PROBLEM. 
  C. David Confesses... "I have sinned greatly.."  Little do we know how 
     great our sin is to God!!
    1. He assumed responsibility for his actions.. 
    2. He didn't excuse, blame, or rationalize his behavior 
 ** Remember.. Disobedience is Doing what is Not to be done... and Not doing
    what is to be done!!
II. DAVID IS DISCIPLINED.. 
  A. The Lord Gave Him A Choice of Discipline... 12,13	 (What Choices!) 
    1. Seven years of Famine 
    2. Run three months from your enemies.. 
    3. Three days at the hand of the Lord.. not knowing what... 
  B. The Lord Is His Choice.. 14.. 
    1. A hard decision... but the Lord's "mercies are great"
  C. The Lord Sends A Plague.. 15..	 Three days.. mind you... 
    1. But... 70,000 died! 	 Others suffer when we disobey... 
    2. But... brought "brokenness" to David.. 17 
 ** Remember... "Whom the Lord Loves.. He chastens..." Heb.12:5-7 
III.  DAVID IS DIRECTED..   18 
  A. He is Directed By God's Servant.. Gad, the prophet..David's "seer"..11 
  B. He is Directed By God's Word.. 	What place does His Word Have in 
     Your Life..? 
    1. Go.. erect an altar to the Lord...	 What.. Where.. Who.. Why..
    2. Gad said it... but it was God's Commandment..  19
IV.  DAVID IS DECISIVE... 20-25 
  A. I Have Come.. 
    1. To buy your threshing floor... 
    2. To build an altar to the Lord... to stop the plague  21 
  B. I Will Surely Buy it From You.. 	(Araunah had offered to give it) 
  C. I Will Not Offer Burnt Offerings to the Lord With That Which Costs Me 
     Nothing !!!!  
	 (Did you get that?) 
    1. How much of what we do for God... "costs us little or nothing"? 

AND... THE LORD HEARD & HEEDED... AND STOPPED THE PLAGUE.. 
	
	WHEN WE ARE DISOBEDIENT...
	    BE GLAD WHEN YOUR HEART "CONDEMNS" YOU...
	    ACCEPT GOD'S LOVING DISCIPLINE... SOMETIMES QUITE HARSH..
	    FOLLOW HIS DIRECTIONS... NO MATTER HOW DISTASTEFUL.. 
	   AND... TAKE DECISIVE ACTION...	 DO IT NOW !!  (1John 1:9)