1 Sam. 23:1-18  David inquires of God  

 

Intro: Do you consider yourself a Leader ? How about A person of Influence ?  A true leader doesn’t need to announce it to anyone !!!

A)Whether we like it or not all of us – are called at times to lead someone

 

B) Husbands lead wife & kids / Moms – lead Children / In Dating – Man is called to be the spiritual leader

 1)  Older Christian – leads younger – by example & testimony

 

C) Some of you are in positions of leadership at work – Some are in positions of leadership in Ministry.

1)   We All have our times when called upon to lead –

 

D) For some it is a stretch / awkward / difficult / others natural / comfortable

Enjoyable

1)   Well whatever Category that you find yourself in our text today we see in David a very Important ingredient of a Good leader Read v.1-4

 

 

We saw in our last study that David had escaped to the cave of Adullam – It was there that God Met David needs

A)Brought his Family / Brought 400 men who would become David’s mighty men

 

B) From there God directs David to go to the area of Judah – this was a more Dangerous place for David to be than in the area of  Adullam –

     1) But there was a purpose that God had for David  to be in this area

 

C) When David was hiding out in the CAVE of Adullam he was safe, but he couldn’t be reached in a time of need to help God’s people.

 

D)So  One of the  reasons why God called David out of the stronghold, into a place of greater danger (the land of Judah), Make him AVAILABLE

1)   was so that he could serve and bless God’s people more effectively.

So the word comes to David The Philistines are fighting against Keliah, and they are robbing the threshing floors:

A)Why did they bring this plea for help to David, and not to King Saul? Because Saul was not fulfilling his role as king over Israel.

 

B) It was Saul’s job to protect Keliah, it was Saul’s job to fight against the Philistines, but Saul wasn’t doing his job, so the Lord called David to do it.

 

C)At this point David & his men take on a sort of Robin Hood & His merry men – KIND OF PERSONA

     1)Stationed to help the People who were not getting Help from King Saul

 

So the Need is presented to David & watch what – He does / Here we are given great insight into what Made David a great leader!!

A)Lesson for all of us who are in Ministry / everyone here who is in a Position at work /  over people/

 

B) Every Husband called lead family / Every mom who has the responsibility of being involved in the training of her Children

1)   Every man who is involved in courting a woman / Every mature believer who is discipling or has an influence on a younger believer

 

C) What is this Radical thing that David does? – Found in the 2nd verse

1)   Therefore David inquired of the Lord-

 

 Now this tells us several things about David’s leadership

A)#1 This shows David’s wisdom and godliness.

1)    Some might have immediately said, "This isn’t my responsibility, it is Saul’s. Let him deal with it."  

 

B)Others might have immediately said, "Let’s go! I can fix this problem! Get out of my way and let’s do it!"  

1) Either course would have been foolish, but David was wise because he inquired of the Lord.

C) The mark of David’s Great leadership is that David was a man of Prayer: He was a man who was interested in God’s will & God’s way

1)   He wanted & sought after God’s direction

 

#2 When David inquired of the Lord, & he was willing to do just as the Lord commanded.

A)Sometimes we inquire of the Lord, but our minds are already made up / Our inquiring of the Lord is merely a Token Formality / I prayed about it

 

B) But That isn’t really inquiring of the Lord at all! Lloyd Ogilvie

Even though we pray about our challenges and problems, all too often what we really want is strength to accomplish what we've already decided is best for ourselves and others.  Meanwhile we press on with our own priorities and plans.  We remain the script writer, casting director, choreographer, and producer of the drama of our own lives, in which we are the star performer.

 

C) True Inquiring of the Lord is when we come ready & expecting to Listen – And willing to do whatever the Lord tells us

1)   That is an essential trait for anyone who is called to be a leader over people in any capacity!!

 

A leader/Boss/  Husband/ Parent who makes it his/her habit to inquire of the Lord concerning Decisions shows that they are

A)1) A person who is in Submission to the Lord

 

B) The very practice of truly seeking the Lord acknowledges that I am not going to take matters into my own hands

     1) I am not going to try & call the shots

 

C) John Powell, "Prayer as Surrender," I have a sign in the mirror of my room I see it every morning in my groggy condition, when I first wake up: WHAT HAVE YOU GOT GOING TODAY, GOD? I'D LIKE TO BE A PART OF IT. THANKS FOR LOVING ME.

 

 D) A person who is in submission to Christ is seeking to find their place in God’s plans

 1) rather than making their own plans & asking God to support them

 

E) The way that happens is by regularly inquiring of the Lord

 

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

   

 

So Prayer speaks of Submission 2nd  Prayer speaks of Dependency

A)It is telling the Lord that I know that thru Him all can do all things/ but w/out Him I can do nothing

 

B) It is acknowledging that I don’t want to move to the right or the left / forward or backward – until I Know that He is leading

1)   Dependency is acknowledging to the Lord that I know that I am a follower long before I am a leader – He is the one I am following

 

The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they have not yet come to the end of themselves.      TOZER

 

C) The mark of dependency is seen by the fact that we are actively & constantly seeking God !!!!

 

Looking back, [my wife] Jan and I have learned that the wilderness is part of the landscape of faith, and every bit as essential as the mountaintop. On the mountaintop we are overwhelmed by God's presence. In the wilderness we are overwhelmed by his absence. Both places should bring us to our knees; the one, in utter awe; the other, in utter dependence.

                     Dave Dravecky in When You Can't Come Back.

 

 

 

Listen If you are in a position at work or a position of ministry to be a leader over people

A)The people who are working w/ you will respect you/ they will be more inclined to follow your leadership & enjoy working w/ you

 

IF THEY KNOW YOU ARE A MAN OR WOMAN OF PRAYER

 

B) Husbands – Your wife & family will respect you & more gladly submit to you – if they have the confidence that you are seeking God

1)   If they Know that you are a man of Prayer & the decisions that you are making about your family / finances  are born out of your prayer times

 

C) Mothers listen your kids will listen to what you are teaching them & training them – more attentively

1)    If they Know that you are seeking your direction from the Lord / That Jesus is the Lord / that He is the Center

 

So one of the things that made David such a great leader who was respected by the men who were following HimDavid inquired……

A)It was very apparent to all that David wanted to be led by God – And God said to David go & Rescue Keliah-

 

B) But notice how David’s men responded v.3 - his men are hesitant & fearful –

 

C) What would you do in that situation ? As an Employer – How do you respond when you are questioned on a decision ?

1)   Is it –  You are either in of out – My way or the Highway – or are you humble enough to consider that you might be wrong?

 

D)Husband – What do you say when your wife questions you on a decision ? Woman you are called by God to submit / My way…..Highway

1)   That is a great way to make a bitter enemy of your wife

 

 

Maybe like David you pray – you feel that God spoke to you – confirmation – tell your wife of your decision –

A)She is apprehensive / she is concerned – not settling well w/ her for some reason & she questions if you are really hearing from God

 

B) Now your Pride has the Potential of being wounded – She is questioning my relationship w/ God -  What do you do fellows

1)   Do you Chide her & condemn her saying she is lacking faith / being silly / do you accuse her of quenching the spirit / fighting w/ God

 

C) David could have done all of those things w/ his men – He could have sought to ram rod this thing – thru – we are going forward Period

1)   He could have went spiritual on them – You guys are such spiritual wimps - / no faith what is wrong w/ you.

 

D) But David didn’t do that: 2nd Trait we see in David that made Him a great leader / connected to his heart for prayer He was HUMBLE

1)    A person who regularly lives in the presence of God isn’t going to think too highly of themselves – see themselves in light of the Lord

 

E) David shows his humility by allowing himself to be questions – David are you sure this is the Lord maybe I am wrong

1) He simply went again & inquired of the Lord -And his men respected & responded to that –

 

The people in your life that you are called to lead will do the Same when see that trait in you.

A)Wives love to follow a husband that they Know is actively seeking the Lord -

 

B)Sometimes this will test peoples patience – I tell our guys here don’t expect me to make a lot of spur of the minute decisions – Pray

 1) That means they have to be more prepared / organized / get things to me sooner – so I can pray about them!!!

 

C)This can be a real struggle though for some people- I was once asked to speak at a Large & Popular place of ministry

1)   I was honored that I was asked to speak – but I told the person who called me who was heading up this ministry that I wanted a couple of days to pray about – whether God wanted me to do it

 

D) They were so offended by that – asked Why wouldn’t God want you to speak there?

1) Well I have been in situations that I thought was great – that I didn’t pray about – I went to speak & God stayed home- ended up never calling back

 

E) David’s men respected His prayer life & when He came back the 2nd time they respected his Decision

1)   This time the Lord adds a Promise to the direction God said Arise, go down to Keiliah, &  I will deliver the Philistines into your hand:

 

F) The promise was intended to give both David and his men more and more confidence in God and His command.

1)     Lesson for us God likes to confirm His word, especially when He directs us to do something hard or unusual.  Go Oregon/ Back to Vista

 

5And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

 

Watch what happens nextv. 6-12  

A)The Ephod was the Vest that the High Priest wore – Ahimelech Abiathars father who was killed by Saul

 

B) Attached to the Vest was a small Breastplate – pouch – two stones

  1)The breastplate had in it a pouch with two stones, known as the Urim and Thummim Lights & Perfections / One light / other dark

 

C)When David inquired of the Lord, he probably asked Abiathar to use the Urim and Thummim. God honored that in OT

Now today we don’t need to go to stones because we have the word of God & the HS living in our hearts –

A)Jesus said that the HS would guide us into all truth

 

B) But here is the interesting thing – The very people that David rescues are now turning their backs on him & Rejecting him

 

C) Ministry can be that way - You can give & give of yourself to help someone / to help bring healing to a family / a marriage / -

1) Then have those people turn on you / find some reason to get upset w/ you People are fickle –

 

Paul declared 2 Cor 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.

 

D) Why is that – sometimes in loving – you have to do the right thing – which means you have to tell the truth –

1)    The truth hurts – people sometimes respond by rejecting you / getting angry w/ you – Comes w/ the territory   Read v.13-18

 

 

Now picture David at this point / how discourage he would be – after he is rejected for doing the right thing again

A)Now He flees to the wilderness of Ziph which was a difficult place to be in w/ varied terrain – Saul has resorted to seeking David Continually

 

B) But Notice who God sends to Strengthen David is this difficult time

  1) Jonathan comes along & strengthens David’s hands in the Lord

 

C) Strengthening hands = to fasten upon / to seize / to make strong / to repair / to fortify / to make Vailant

1)   That is what Jonathan did for David – Helped his friend in this low time – become stronger / more Valiant / Help fortify Him in the Lord

 

 

D) Consider what David’s hands were used for – Used to work for the Lord

1)   Used to fight / Used to write beautiful Psalms / Used to lift in Praise

 

E) After Jonathan’s visit David was able to do all of those things again

 

 

Notice How Jonathan strengthened David’s hands in the Lord – 3 things

A)1st He reminded David of the Lord’s Presence w/ Him   Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you.

 

B) David could reject fear because God would ultimately protect him (Saul my father shall not find you).

1) Jonathan was reminding David that One w/ God is a majority

 

Heb 13:5 For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?”

 

C) One of the greatest things we can do to strengthen a bro/sis/ in a difficult time is to remind them of the Lord’s Presence w/ them.

 1) Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.

     J. Oswald Sanders. 

 

D) Think of it this way – most of us who are parent have had our kids come & climb in bed w/ us after being sacred by a Storm / Wind or rain

1)   They are not asking for us to take the storm away but simply to stay w/ them & help them rest in the mist of the Storm

 

E) We some times need that reminder that God is w/ us in the mist of the Storm –

 

None of us can face the past unless we know we are forgiven by the grace of God. None of us can face the present unless we know we are strengthened by the presence of God. None of us can face the future unless we are certain of the love of God.

2nd thing that Jonathan did was to remind David of God’s promise to him You shall be king over Israel).

A)We are called to be Promise believers – sometimes in the mist of our situations the Devil gets us to forget the promise of God!!!

 

B) In those times especially we need to remember that our Lord is a God who keeps His promises

 

C)Sometimes a political candidate who wishes to be returned to office will say, "I stand on my record."

1) Well Our faith stands on the record of what God has done, on the record of promises kept. Jn 20:31 says "These are written that you may believe."

 

D)Faith is not inherited, nor does it come by accident. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and discovering that God keeps his promises.  

  1) Faith is "standing on the promises."

 

The Chronicles of Narnia, are wonderful children's stories written by

 A)In the second book, Prince Caspian, Lucy enters Narnia again, and she hasn't seen Aslan, this lion figure who represents Christ.

 

B) She has not seen him in a long time,& they have a wonderful reunion. Lucy says to Aslan, who represents Christ, "Aslan, you're bigger now."

   1)Aslan says, "Lucy, that's because you are older. You see, Lucy, every year that you grow, you will find me bigger."

 

C) Same holds true for us the more we grow in the Lord / the longer we walk w/ the Lord we find him bigger in his grace and in his goodness

  1) and in his faithfulness and in those promises that he has given us upon which we can depend all the days of our lives

 

D) Sometimes we just need a friend like Jonathan to come along & remind us of the bigness & the faithfulness of God

  1) Jonathan gave David an affirmation of what God was doing in His life

Listen we need that sometimes because quite frankly it is hard for us to see sometimes what God is doing / if we are growing

 

 

3rd thing that Jonathan did to Strengthen David’s hands in the Lord was to remind him of the Lord’s Power in his life

A)My father even knows this to be true

 

B) Reminder of God’s Power in our lives – we are in his hands we cannot be in the hands of the enemy

 

God wants us to be those who strengthen each other’s hands in the Lord

A)Other examples – Jesus w/ Peter – Condemnation-

A)Barnabas w/ Paul & John Mark

 

B) Stir up each other to love & good works –

The word stir up = to Stimulate – Paddles used to stimulate the heart to get it going again / Electrical currents – limbs going

 

D.) We need Friendships that stimulate your walk with the Lord!

     1.)     Build up rather than tear down!

 

Think about your closest relationships - what are the key ingredients? What effects does time together have on you?

A)Idea of stirring  up reminds us of what happens when coals are in a fire!  Get hotter!  -  On fire for Jesus!

 

C.)    I pray be a stirred up church –Stimulating one another – to Love Christ more / to Serve Him more / Seek Him more diligently -

     1) Excited about Lord's return. Excited about serving; evangelism!

 

Why is there a great Need to do this? – The bible declares that to whom much is given much is required !!!

A)Those to whom much is required are those who are going to be under greater attack

B)Those of you who are working for someone else – especially if they are Christians – they are under greater attack – why?

1)    Satan’s goal is to kill Rob & destroy – He knows that if He can bring that person down – it will affect many other lives

 

C) Pastor Brian – Seemed so out of it – Rob you just wait until God calls you to be a senior Pastor – Naw – Epstein bar / Richard

1)   I know now by experience when I moved to Oregon& even more so since I have moved back here – WARFARE IS INTENSE

 

D) Warfare is 10 times greater than I could ever imagine

     1) Attacked in areas / never ever thought

 

D) Bob Coy – 250 staff people – Pressure – God brings me down destroys the work here – affect the lives of a whole bunch of people.

1)   I know that pressure – smaller scale – God has used you guys to strengthen me & my family in the Lord

 

E) Women’s ministry – Those cards – Times I have been down / feeling like not making a  difference – impact – Open the mail card

1)   God uses that –

 

F) I am sure that others feel the same way – You affirming to them – God is working in your life – I see it

     1) God used you the other day in my life – Know it

 

Listen Wives your husband is going to be under greater warfare than you ? Why ? More required

A)The wife is under the covering of her husband – Eve had her problems only after she wandered out from under that covering

 

B) But Satan knows that the man is called to be the spiritual leader & if he can get that husband off course / derail the whole family

1)   He knows that if He can influence the husband – keep the whole family from growing

C) Wives do you see yourself as an instrument of God in your husbands life to strengthen his hands in the Lord – not nagging but

     1) Reminding him God’s Presence / Promise / Power

 

Result of Jonathan’s actions  Ch. 30 David Strenghtened Himself in the Lord