1Kings 10: 1-13 Let the Whole World Hear

INTRODUCTION:

·       Knowingly or unknowingly we all create a worldview.

·       This worldview becomes the lens that we view what happens around us.

·       Some people create a worldview based on politics, others family, and others a cultural world view. 

·       What about followers of Jesus?  How should our worldview be affected by the decision to follow Jesus?

·       It has been suggested that to have a coherent worldview we must answer at a minimum these four questions:

1.     Origin – Where did I come from?

2.     Meaning – Why am I here?

3.     Morality – How do I determine right from wrong?

4.     Destiny – What happens when I die?

·       In the text before us I think we can learn a lot about questions two, “Why am I hear?”

SCENE 1: A went out. 

·       The exact location of Sheba is not known, but some believe it was the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula.  (Modern Day Yemen)

·       If that is correct, she came from 1,000 miles away. 

1.     What she .

§  “name of the LORD”

§  The story of what was going on, what was being built, and King Solomon’s wisdom were advancing the reputation of the name of the LORD associated with it.

§  The prayer of King Solomon being answered?

Then all peoples of earth will know your name, to fear you as your people Israel do and to know that this temple I have built bears your name. — 1 Kings 8:43 (CSB)

§  Much later the prophet Isaiah would look forward to a future son of David.

They will not harm or destroy each other on my entire holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the sea is filled with water. — Isaiah 11:9 (CSB)

§  We are reminded of the ultimate fulfillment.  (Daniel 7:9-14)

2.     Why she .

§  She came to test King Solomon.

§  She had doubts.

§  There is a difference between scoffers trying to discredit and genuine seekers.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching; and look ​— ​something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look ​— ​something greater than Solomon is here. — Matthew 12:38-42 (CSB)

§  STORY of the homeless man at bus stop asking about the Ark.

3.     she came. 

§  “a very large entourage’

§  This was an impactful visit.  It was prayed by King David.

May he live long! May gold from Sheba be given to him. — Psalm 72:15 (CSB)

4.     What she .

§  Her questions were answered. 

§  She was in awe of what the Lord was doing through Kind Solomon.

§  The love of the Lord.

§  The righteousness of the Lord. 

Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him! — Psalm 34:8 (CSB)

5.     What she . 

§  Sacrificial giving.

The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart ​— ​not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work — 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (CSB)

6.     What she . 

§  Her every desire.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? — Matthew 16:25-26 (CSB)

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. — Psalm 37:4 (CSB)

EMERALD CITY:

What have we learned about question number two, “Why am I here?”

1.     We are here to herald a message. 

Then he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. — Mark 16:15 (CSB)

2.     Like King Solomon God wants to send people to us who are seeking answers to life’s questions. 

From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. — John 6:66-68 (CSB)

3.     What message does your life communicate?

One day an evangelist by the name of Jakov arrived in a certain village. He commiserated with an elderly man named Cimmerman on the tragedies he had experienced and talked to him of the love of Christ. Cimmerman abruptly interrupted Jakov and told him that he wished to have nothing to do with Christianity. He reminded Jakov of the dreadful history of the church in his town, a history replete with plundering, exploiting, and indeed with killing innocent people. “My own nephew was killed by them,” he said and angrily rebuffed any effort on Jakov’s part to talk about Christ. “They wear those elaborate coats and caps and crosses,” he said, “signifying a heavenly commission, but their evil designs and lives I cannot ignore.”

Jakov, looking for an occasion to get Cimmerman to change his line of thinking, said, “Cimmerman, can I ask you a question? Suppose I were to steal your coat, put it on, and break into a bank. Suppose further that the police sighted me running in the distance but could not catch up with me. One clue, however, put them onto your track; they recognized your coat. What would you say to them if they came to your house and accused you of breaking into the bank?”

“I would deny it,” said Cimmerman.

“‘Ah, but we saw your coat,’ they would say,” retorted Jakov. This analogy quite annoyed Cimmerman, who ordered Jakov to leave his home.

Jakov continued to return to the village periodically just to befriend Cimmerman, encourage him, and share the love of Christ, with him. Finally one day Cimmerman asked, “How does one become a Christian?” and Jakov taught him the simple steps of repentance for sin and of trust in the work of Jesus Christ and gently pointed him to the Shepherd of his soul. Cimmerman bent his knee on the soil with his head bowed and surrendered his life to Christ. As he rose to his feet, wiping his tears, he embraced Jakov and said, “Thank you for being in my life.” And then he pointed to the heavens and whispered, “You wear His coat very well.”

https://bible.org/illustration/you-wear-his-coat-very-wel