I. Introduction: Why Finishing Well Matters
Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NKJV)
“The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
Opening Thought:
– Many start their walk with God strong, but few finish well.
– David and Solomon show us two very different endings.
II. David — A Man After God’s Own Heart
1. David’s Humble Beginnings
1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)
“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
2. David’s Faithfulness and Failures
2 Samuel 11 — Sin with Bathsheba
2 Samuel 12:13 (NKJV)
“So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.’”
Psalm 51:10 (NKJV)
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
3. David’s Legacy
Acts 13:22 (NKJV)
“I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”
III. Solomon — The Wisest Man Who Drifted Away
1. Solomon’s Brilliant Beginning
1 Kings 3:9 (NKJV)
“Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.”
1 Kings 8:61 (NKJV)
“Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
2. Solomon’s Compromise and Fall
1 Kings 11:4 (NKJV)
“For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.”
Deuteronomy 17:17 (NKJV)
“Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.”
3. Solomon’s Reflection (Possible Repentance?)
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NKJV)
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”
IV. Jesus Christ — The Perfect King Who Seals the New Covenant
David and Solomon point forward to the King who would NEVER fail — Jesus!
1. Jesus, the Son of David
Matthew 1:1 (NKJV)
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”
Luke 1:32-33 (NKJV)
“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.”
2. Jesus, the Establishment of the New Covenant
Luke 22:20 (NKJV)
“Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’”
Jeremiah 31:31-33 (NKJV)
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.”
Hebrews 9:15 (NKJV)
“And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant…”
V. Application: How Will We Finish?
Discussion Questions:
– How do we guard our hearts like David did (Psalm 51:10)?
– What small compromises can lead to great falls (1 Kings 11:4)?
– How does Jesus’ New Covenant give us strength to endure to the end (Hebrews 9:15)?
– In what areas of life do we need to repent quickly like David, rather than drift like Solomon?
2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NKJV)
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day.”
Summary Points:
– David sinned but always returned to God with a full heart.
– Solomon began with wisdom but lost his heart to compromise.
– Jesus provides a New Covenant where His Spirit empowers us to finish well.
– Finishing well means keeping our hearts loyal to God every step of the jou
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