When the Lord and Love Intervene

I Samuel 19:18-20:16

Good morning!  While I was preparing the message yesterday, I came across this comic.  It does a pretty good job summing up Saul’s heart toward David.  Saul is like a raging bull more and more; whenever he encounters David or hears of David’s successes, he wants to destroy David so that he and his family will remain preeminent in Israel.

We ended our message last week with David on the run from Saul.  It appears that Saul had not only thrown a spear at David this time, but he may have assaulted David with spear in hand, raising his massive form off the throne and trying to back David up against the wall.  David escaped from Saul at the last moment as the spear was driven into the wall, perhaps becoming stuck long enough for David to get away.

David proceeded to return home where his wife (who was also Saul’s daughter) warned him to run for his life.  That is where we will pick up the story today, with David’s flight.  Before we get into the passage, let’s take a moment and pray.

When They Know that You Know

1 Samuel 19:1-17

 

It’s been a couple of months since I’ve had the privilege of teaching on a Sunday morning, and much has changed in the Rollins household in those short months.  For those of you who struggle with math, we proved that on occasion, one plus one really does equal three when welcomed Elise Marie into the world late in the evening of December 7^th, 2017. Some of you have been able to meet her, and the rest of you will have a chance as soon as the flu bug dies back some more.  We praise God for a safe delivery, even though it wasn’t how we planned it, for a healthy daughter, and for a church family that demonstrated the love of Christ in so many ways as we adjusted to life as a family of three.  I want to publicly thank all of you for the meals and cards you sent.  The meals were a tremendous blessing as I went back to work very soon after Elise was born.

I could spend all day talking about Elise, but we’re here for a better reason. Let’s pray and jump right in.

Don't Mess with the Blessed

I Samuel 18:10-30

Welcome! Today we continue our series on David, from the book in the Bible of I Samuel. We are also going to spend some time remembering the Lord Jesus through taking of the bread and cup, and following this, we will have a short sharing time in which those who wish to share what the Lord is teaching them may do so.

Today’s passage from I Samuel is timeless. Saul is both jealous and afraid of David, jealous of how the people love him and afraid that David will take the kingship from him, and as a result, he tries again and again to get rid of David. But David, a young man of faith and a living relationship with God, is able, by God’s given wisdom and blessing, to overcome every obstacle Saul throws at him.

Whose Son are You?

I Samuel 17:55-18:9

Hello and good morning!  We are continuing on in our series about David titled “Walking Through and Stepping Up.”  We’re still in the early going.  In the last couple of weeks, we’ve looked at the events leading up to David’s battle with Goliath through his triumphant victory over the giant.  David spoke to Goliath just before they fought one another.  His words are so powerful and give us a glimpse at what was in David’s heart that I want to share them again today.

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give all of you into our hands.” –I Samuel 17:45-47

The Battle is the Lord's

1 Samuel 17:38-54

Welcome back to the story of David and Goliath. This is the third message that we have devoted to this chapter – and we won’t even quite finish it today. Why our detailed focus on this one incident? Well, this was truly a defining moment in David’s life: when he steps up to do something that no one else in the whole country was willing to do. He takes the national stage for the first time, and the way he conducts himself sets the tone for the rest of his career as a public figure. Today we will begin to look at some of David’s leadership qualities.

Will YOU Step Up?

I Sam. 17:12-37

Welcome! Today we continue our series in I Samuel, continuing last week’s message that opened the well-known account of David and Goliath. There is a danger in reading well-known Bible stories that we become deadened to its message. I encourage you today to look at this account freshly, with an inquisitive mind, one open to marveling at the events that we read.

Let me review the passage that we looked at last week before going on to today’s passage:

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Sokoh and Azekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. – I Sam. 17:1-3

Goliaths in Your Life

1 Samuel 17:1-11

Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. –1 Samuel 17:1-11

The Definition of Irony

1 Samuel 16:14-23

Today we come to the third message in our series about David: “Walking Through and Stepping Up.” God has rejected Saul as king, telling him through Samuel that he would be replaced by “a man after God’s own heart.” Last Sunday John walked us through the story of David being anointed by Samuel, who was directed by God to choose him from among all of his older and perhaps more eligible brothers. He may not have been an obvious choice, but God was “looking on his heart” and seeing his potential. Did David know what was going on? We don’t actually know. Samuel anoints him in the presence of his family, but there is no record of what he said as he was doing it – if anything! But it’s clear that everyone knew that something special was going on. Indeed it says that from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. He was a changed person. He must have had some sense that God had something important in store for him, despite his humble beginnings. His world was beginning to open up, and he was headed somewhere special. But where?

He Looks at the Heart

I Samuel 16:1-13

Good morning!  Last week, we took a look back at the events in first 15 chapters of I Samuel.  Today, we will start freshly in I Samuel 16.  The time is 1000 BC, or one thousand years before Jesus.  It is a time of uncertainty and difficulty in the land of Israel.  The nation is surrounded by hostile neighbors most notably the Philistines.  To make matters even worse, the current king of Israel is a fearful, impetuous, contradictory, and dangerous individual.  His refusal to follow God’s direction has led to God’s rejection of him as king.

Saul is this king.  He is the very first king of Israel.  Before that, the nation was governed by a succession of judges.  The very last judge was Samuel.  Samuel ministered before the Lord at the temple as a priest.  Samuel is a prophet of God, and He had been the leader of the nation.  But, the people of Israel wanted to have a king.  They wanted to be like the other nations around them.  Samuel was displeased and saddened at the people’s choice, but God told Samuel to give the people what they were asking for. (I Samuel 8) And so, Samuel was directed by God to anoint Saul as king.

Saul was 30 years old when he became king (I Samuel 13:1).  He will go on to reign for 42 years.  At this point, he has been king for about 25 years.  And, as we will see over the coming weeks, Saul will still be on the throne for quite some time.  God doesn’t do things hastily.  Even now, in spite of Saul’s disobedience, God does not take the kingdom away from Saul instantly.  But, “… the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people, because [Saul had] not kept the LORD's command." I Samuel 13:14

And now, it is the time that God identifies the one after His own heart.

Walking Through and Stepping Up: Introduction

Welcome! Today we begin a new series primarily focusing on the life of David from his anointing until his ascension as king. In many respects, this series is a continuation of an earlier series we did on the first half of the book of I Samuel entitled Prophet and King, where the prophet in that series was Samuel, and the king was Saul. If the Lord wills, we will have a third series (who doesn’t love a trilogy?) that looks at the events of David’s reign as king. In typical fashion for me, I am already looking forward to the third series.