King's Chaos, 4 October 2026
04 10 26 Filed in: Sermons | Ideal Family
King’s Chaos
Series: Ideal Family
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
October 4, 2026
Psalm 3
Series Big Idea: All families are messed up, including biblical families.
Big Idea: The “man after God’s own heart” led a broken family in need of God’s grace.
Scripture: Psalm 3
Parenting is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life. It might be the most rewarding thing, but it is not easy. I wish the first video described my three kids when they were teenagers. The second video is close to what I did once when my then-teenager wouldn’t wake up. I resorted to using water, though not a bucket-full!
There are few relationships more significant than those between a parent and child. History is filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly of parenthood. Today, as we continue our series Ideal Family, we’re going to look at the most popular figure in the Old Testament—the Jewish Bible—and his chaotic family. It’s filled with sin, scandal, and drama. The lead character was an adulterer, murderer, and alleged rapist, yet it’s ultimately a story of God’s amazing grace.
The big idea of this sermon series is all families are messed up, including biblical families. Our subject today is King David, a great warrior, king, musician, and poet.
As a boy, he killed a lion and a bear…and then Goliath the giant (1 Samuel 17). His music was so powerful, it would bring relief to the tormented king, even causing an evil spirit to flee (1 Samuel 16:23). Young David was so popular, the crowds would celebrate him over and above King Saul, the man whose throne he would later possess (1 Samuel 18:7; 21:11; 29:5).
Yet aside from his victory over Goliath, he may be best known for his encounter with a woman named Bathsheba in 2 Samuel chapter 11. We don’t have time to read it today, but David had a fling with a woman he saw bathing from the roof of his palace when he should have been off to war. It’s unlikely it was consensual, meaning rape was involved. He got her pregnant and had her husband killed to cover it up. The baby died. But the consequences didn’t end there.
He had a son named Solomon who built the Temple and was blessed with wisdom, wealth, and women. Near the end of his life, King David assembled all the officials of Israel and said,
Of all my sons—and the LORD has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. (1 Chronicles 28:5)
So David blesses Solomon, he becomes king, and everyone lives happily ever after. Right? Hardly.
David had many sons…from multiple wives. Remember Cain and Abel, sibling rivalry? Imagine many sons… with different mothers! What could go wrong?
Last week we noted how sins can be passed from one generation to the next. Blessings work that way. Curses work that way, too. We often become like our parents, and our children follow our example. Jacob was deceitful like his father Isaac, who was deceitful like his father Abram.
David’s sexual sin with Bathsheba may have some connection to a horrific event that would occur among his children. David’s firstborn son, Amnon, fell in love with his half-sister, Tamar (2 Samuel 13:4), and raped her (2 Samuel 13:14), causing chaos in David’s family.
When King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. (2 Samuel 13:21-22)
Understandable, right?
Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.” So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled. (2 Samuel 13:28-29)
Do you see why I entitled this message, “King’s Chaos?”
We simply don’t have time to cover all the stories of David and his family, but if you turn to 2 Samuel chapter 15, we see Absalom wreaking more havoc on his family. David’s son, Absalom, tries to seize control.
A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!” (2 Samuel 15:13, NLT)
King David flees his son, Absalom, which is where our scripture reading from Psalm 3 originates. Remember, the context is King David fleeing his son!
LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me! (Psalm 3:1)
Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.” (Psalm 3:2)
But you, LORD, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high. (Psalm 3:3)
I call out to the LORD,
and he answers me from his holy mountain. (Psalm 3:4)
David flees his son, and in 2 Samuel chapter 18, we read
During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.” (2 Samuel 18:9-10, NLT)
“What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt!” (2 Samuel 18:11, NLT)
“I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’ And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.” (2 Samuel 18:12-13, NLT)
“Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree. Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him. (2 Samuel 18:14-15, NLT)
This is great news, right? Not to David. Skipping ahead…
Then the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, “I have good news for my lord the king. Today the LORD has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you.” (2 Samuel 18:31, NLT)
“What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?”
And the Ethiopian replied, “May all of your enemies, my lord the king, both now and in the future, share the fate of that young man!” (2 Samuel 18:32, NLT)
The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.” (2 Samuel 18:33, NLT)
So What?
I’ve heard stories of some dysfunctional families, but David’s is one of the most bizarre. Incest, rape, murder, adultery…yet the patriarch, David, is called a man after God’s own heart.
After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ (Acts 13:22)
But what does this have to do with us thousands of years later?
1. Parenting is hard. Every mom and dad said, “Amen!” Parents love their kids through thick and thin (even teenagers!!!). It’s a special bond. They say love is blind, and while that usually refers to romance, it can sometimes apply to parenting. David loved his kids…even his son who was trying to kill him.
2. One spouse is enough! I don’t want to make light of this, but so much of David’s chaos came from multiple wives bearing multiple children and a family tree that looked more like spaghetti than an oak. One man marrying one woman and creating children mirrors the Trinity of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all One, doing life together, each serving a unique, complementary function.
3. Sin always has consequences, now or later. We can only imagine David’s legacy had he (and Solomon) avoided sexual sins (there’s so much we don’t have time to cover here).
4. God’s grace is sufficient. Despite his flaws, God used David…and his family, both then and thousands of years later.
Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. (2 Timothy 2:8)
No matter your family of origin, no matter your own personal sins and failures, God loves you. He wants the best for you. He sent Jesus to die for you. You can’t earn his mercy and forgiveness, but you can repent, turn, and say “yes” to him today. Surrender your life and experience the peace, freedom, love, hope, and joy King David and millions since have experienced.
God’s amazing grace is good news, indeed.
But you, LORD, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high. (Psalm 3:3)
I call out to the LORD,
and he answers me from his holy mountain. (Psalm 3:4)
Hallelujah!
Series: Ideal Family
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
October 4, 2026
Psalm 3
Series Big Idea: All families are messed up, including biblical families.
Big Idea: The “man after God’s own heart” led a broken family in need of God’s grace.
Scripture: Psalm 3
Parenting is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life. It might be the most rewarding thing, but it is not easy. I wish the first video described my three kids when they were teenagers. The second video is close to what I did once when my then-teenager wouldn’t wake up. I resorted to using water, though not a bucket-full!
There are few relationships more significant than those between a parent and child. History is filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly of parenthood. Today, as we continue our series Ideal Family, we’re going to look at the most popular figure in the Old Testament—the Jewish Bible—and his chaotic family. It’s filled with sin, scandal, and drama. The lead character was an adulterer, murderer, and alleged rapist, yet it’s ultimately a story of God’s amazing grace.
The big idea of this sermon series is all families are messed up, including biblical families. Our subject today is King David, a great warrior, king, musician, and poet.
As a boy, he killed a lion and a bear…and then Goliath the giant (1 Samuel 17). His music was so powerful, it would bring relief to the tormented king, even causing an evil spirit to flee (1 Samuel 16:23). Young David was so popular, the crowds would celebrate him over and above King Saul, the man whose throne he would later possess (1 Samuel 18:7; 21:11; 29:5).
Yet aside from his victory over Goliath, he may be best known for his encounter with a woman named Bathsheba in 2 Samuel chapter 11. We don’t have time to read it today, but David had a fling with a woman he saw bathing from the roof of his palace when he should have been off to war. It’s unlikely it was consensual, meaning rape was involved. He got her pregnant and had her husband killed to cover it up. The baby died. But the consequences didn’t end there.
He had a son named Solomon who built the Temple and was blessed with wisdom, wealth, and women. Near the end of his life, King David assembled all the officials of Israel and said,
Of all my sons—and the LORD has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. (1 Chronicles 28:5)
So David blesses Solomon, he becomes king, and everyone lives happily ever after. Right? Hardly.
David had many sons…from multiple wives. Remember Cain and Abel, sibling rivalry? Imagine many sons… with different mothers! What could go wrong?
Last week we noted how sins can be passed from one generation to the next. Blessings work that way. Curses work that way, too. We often become like our parents, and our children follow our example. Jacob was deceitful like his father Isaac, who was deceitful like his father Abram.
David’s sexual sin with Bathsheba may have some connection to a horrific event that would occur among his children. David’s firstborn son, Amnon, fell in love with his half-sister, Tamar (2 Samuel 13:4), and raped her (2 Samuel 13:14), causing chaos in David’s family.
When King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. (2 Samuel 13:21-22)
Understandable, right?
Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.” So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled. (2 Samuel 13:28-29)
Do you see why I entitled this message, “King’s Chaos?”
We simply don’t have time to cover all the stories of David and his family, but if you turn to 2 Samuel chapter 15, we see Absalom wreaking more havoc on his family. David’s son, Absalom, tries to seize control.
A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!” (2 Samuel 15:13, NLT)
King David flees his son, Absalom, which is where our scripture reading from Psalm 3 originates. Remember, the context is King David fleeing his son!
LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me! (Psalm 3:1)
Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.” (Psalm 3:2)
But you, LORD, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high. (Psalm 3:3)
I call out to the LORD,
and he answers me from his holy mountain. (Psalm 3:4)
David flees his son, and in 2 Samuel chapter 18, we read
During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.” (2 Samuel 18:9-10, NLT)
“What?” Joab demanded. “You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt!” (2 Samuel 18:11, NLT)
“I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’ And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.” (2 Samuel 18:12-13, NLT)
“Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree. Ten of Joab’s young armor bearers then surrounded Absalom and killed him. (2 Samuel 18:14-15, NLT)
This is great news, right? Not to David. Skipping ahead…
Then the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, “I have good news for my lord the king. Today the LORD has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you.” (2 Samuel 18:31, NLT)
“What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?”
And the Ethiopian replied, “May all of your enemies, my lord the king, both now and in the future, share the fate of that young man!” (2 Samuel 18:32, NLT)
The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.” (2 Samuel 18:33, NLT)
So What?
I’ve heard stories of some dysfunctional families, but David’s is one of the most bizarre. Incest, rape, murder, adultery…yet the patriarch, David, is called a man after God’s own heart.
After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ (Acts 13:22)
But what does this have to do with us thousands of years later?
1. Parenting is hard. Every mom and dad said, “Amen!” Parents love their kids through thick and thin (even teenagers!!!). It’s a special bond. They say love is blind, and while that usually refers to romance, it can sometimes apply to parenting. David loved his kids…even his son who was trying to kill him.
2. One spouse is enough! I don’t want to make light of this, but so much of David’s chaos came from multiple wives bearing multiple children and a family tree that looked more like spaghetti than an oak. One man marrying one woman and creating children mirrors the Trinity of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all One, doing life together, each serving a unique, complementary function.
3. Sin always has consequences, now or later. We can only imagine David’s legacy had he (and Solomon) avoided sexual sins (there’s so much we don’t have time to cover here).
4. God’s grace is sufficient. Despite his flaws, God used David…and his family, both then and thousands of years later.
Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. (2 Timothy 2:8)
No matter your family of origin, no matter your own personal sins and failures, God loves you. He wants the best for you. He sent Jesus to die for you. You can’t earn his mercy and forgiveness, but you can repent, turn, and say “yes” to him today. Surrender your life and experience the peace, freedom, love, hope, and joy King David and millions since have experienced.
God’s amazing grace is good news, indeed.
But you, LORD, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high. (Psalm 3:3)
I call out to the LORD,
and he answers me from his holy mountain. (Psalm 3:4)
Hallelujah!