David – Serving God

David – Serving God

060108PM

DSS-02

Acts 13:22

Transcript

Let’s open back to Acts chapter 13, where we were briefly this morning. Remember that only those things that are attached to God escape burning. In fact, anything unattached to God will burn up and be consumed, or else will be burnt forever and ever, which is what those who choose to go through life detached from God will experience. And those things that are attached to God that are eternal are accomplished by those who are His servants. In fact, we saw in Revelation that that’s how everything ends: God and those attached to Him, who are His servants, who will serve Him forever and forever.

So, whose life is considered important to God? Of course, by the way, He wrote the book. His greatest record is of one of the greatest of all servants, and that is David. As we see in Acts 13 and verse 22, the young man that we met this morning in verse 22 is the one that God testifies to. And I want to finish his testimony tonight because the Lord wrote an entire chapter about the character, the habits, the view of life that this young man, by the name of David, had. God gave testimony, in verse 22 and says in Acts 13, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all my will. Down to verse 36, one who has that attitude, that heart, that God-heartedness. Verse 36 of 13 says, David served God’s purpose in his generation, and one of the most thrilling things in life is to do that also, each of us. We were made individually, uniquely to fulfill God’s purpose in our generation. And one of the greatest thrills is to go through life knowing you’re doing that, not feeling like the hour is going through the hourglass, like the sand trickling down, and it’s running out, and no; it’s to finish life like Paul did saying I finished the course. I’ve kept the faith. I know, verse 36, God’s purpose for me in my generation. And the way I know it is not because God laid it out and I got this TripTik like you get from AAA and all highlighted. No, it’s a daily walking, saying, I’m Your servant. What do You want me to do? And then following the leading of 99.5 percent of God’s will, which is in His Word, it’s just that little half percent that is based on whether or not you will fulfill completely and do all that He wants, but the objective will of God is clearly written down in His Word. So, David did that. David was God-hearted. He served God’s purposes.

He served, as I shared with you this morning, and you can go to the right to 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 1. And I just alluded to this this morning, but I want to underline it in your minds before we plunge back into the Old Testament. 1 Corinthians, so it goes, Acts, then go to the right, Romans, 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 1. And this is Paul’s testimony. Now, Acts 13 is God’s testimony. God testified about David. Now, Paul testifies in 1 Corinthians 4:1 his personal testimony while he’s still alive, he tells us his operating system, and it says this, let a man so consider us. That’s an accounting term. When you add up my life, when you sum up what I am, I am a servant of Christ. A servant of Christ. I am one who is Christ’s under-rower. Remember, we’ve studied that and in fact, I preached so many times, I have written my own notes in my Bible, an under-rower rows to the captain’s beat. He’s submissive. He rows together with those around him. He’s sensitive. He trusts the captain; that means that he is trusting. He is chained for life; that means he is dedicated. And he never is seen if he’s doing his job; that means he’s humble. That’s exactly what David was doing in the Old Testament, and that’s exactly how Paul looked on himself in the New Testament. He saw himself as a servant of Christ: unseen, in it for life, doing what the Captain said. How do we do that on a daily basis?

Back to 1 Samuel 16. Let’s go the Old Testament, back to David’s biography, 1 Samuel 16 where we were this morning, and let me finish up this incredible chapter because this chapter is about David’s God-heartedness, David’s being after God’s heart. This is about David being under God’s command, David doing what God asked him to do, David always wanting the LORD to get the glory. A simpler way to summarize this chapter is David: a servant all his days. And what this chapter shows us is what a person’s life is like when they do that daily commitment saying, I’m Your servant. I just, I want to be Your servant. Imperfectly failing at times, we’ve gone through in the month’s past, the colossal failures that David experienced. He felt abandoned, and he felt in the pits. And we’re going to see in the future as we go through the pride of life that David even succumbed to pride and thought he was above the things that would trip him up. But imperfect though he was, David exemplifies for us one who is committed to being God’s servant. And because of that and because he’s the most recorded man in the Bible, he’s a beautiful picture for us, no matter where we are, a young person or an older person. In fact, David gives one of the most beautiful testimonies of how to grow old in godliness. He gives us the formula for all ages of our lives, all the different stresses we could, through the thick of our career and through the thinness of our health. He just gives us the complete guide. He’s just a servant for all ages.

But starting in chapter 16 of 1 Samuel, we saw this morning, first of all, David’s life was on God’s mind. The truth is God uses the design He put upon us. God’s design of my life are the unchangeable features about my life, the things that I can’t change, the things that I really didn’t have anything to do with, the things that are a part of my life that I don’t get to have a hand. Those things are God’s unique stamp upon my life and upon yours. And God’s concern was upon the design He had put into David’s life. And so, God was watching over David. David’s family life, God used the overlooked David, God used the abused David. In verse 11, as I pointed out to you this morning, he was the youngest. Remember it says there remains the youngest? There he’s keeping the sheep. And Samuel says, go get him. Go get him. His life was on God’s mind.

And the most important thing in all the world is to tell God you’re His servant. Then you know what? Your life is on His mind, and He is the One that enlarges the way before us. He makes our path straight. He is the One that goes before us. If you want to have someone to be your PR person, someone to be your front man, someone to be the one that is managing your life well, let the Lord do it. Let Him go before you. It doesn’t take our responsibility to do our homework, and pay the bills, and to discipline ourselves. But commit your way to the Lord, and He’ll establish it. He’s the One, as one of the only interesting verses in the genealogies of the book of 1 Chronicles. Remember when Jabez asked the Lord to take over his life? And by the way, the Encyclopedia Judaica goes even more into depth than that prayer of Jabez book did. That’s one of the most written about people in Jewish history is Jabez. There is page after page about that guy because of his simple desire to let the Lord run his life. If you don’t remember anything else about David, remember he let the Lord run his life, and he says, I’m on Your mind. You’re in charge.

Verse 12, he was disciplined. God uses the disciplined lives of His servants for His glory. They sent and brought him in. What’s disciplined about that? He was hardworking. When Samuel sent for David, they called him from where he was supposed to be. He was right where he was supposed to be. He was right out with the sheep. He was one who disciplined himself to do what he was supposed to do, and his life was disciplined. And a lot of times God can’t use people because they won’t finish, they won’t even do what He asked them to do already. And so, David did that.

He, in the little things as we’ll see in a few moments at the end of verse 12, his life was available. He came in and was ruddy, and bright-eyed, and good-looking, the end of verse 12. And the LORD said, arise, anoint him; this is the one. This is the one. And keep your finger here.

And if you haven’t yet marked 1 Corinthians 16, I’m sorry 2 Chronicles 16. Not Corinthians, Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 16. I alluded to it this morning. Some of you turned there, but if you haven’t marked it, I have that marked because this is long-term loyalty God’s looking for. 2 Chronicles 16 and verse 9, the eyes of the LORD run to and fro, looking for the available. The available are loyal to God, and that’s what David was. And the LORD reiterates this because Asa, who this verse is about, one of the kings of Israel, wasn’t loyal to God. And it says in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that the LORD is looking, His eyes are running to and fro throughout the whole Earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him, whose heart is tuned in to Him, whose availability is made known to Him, you might say. And if you make your availability known, God says, I’ll show Myself strong. I will use you. And I will say you’re the one because if you’re loyal to Me. So, remember 2 Chronicles 16:9.

Back to 1 Samuel 16, look at verse 13. This is where we ended this morning. This servant, who is on God’s mind, who is disciplined and available, gets empowered by God. The power gets plugged in. And what’s so neat is that when God plugged in the power to his life, it just became the life that, introduced in this chapter, that is most written about in the Scriptures, most described his fears, his feelings, his struggles, his anxieties, his learning about the LORD, his passion for God. All those things are written down because God’s eyes were on him, and because he was disciplined and did what God wanted and just made himself available to God and was loyal to God. God just energized him, and there’s no limit to what God can do. When, as it says in verse 13, the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. We have God’s Spirit upon us, and there’s no limit to what we can do.

At this conference I was introducing, this week, these young people that have never heard of some of the greats. I was introducing them to some of my heroes, and I was talking to them about the likes of some of these men. Some of the greatest missionaries were some of the sickest people. If you’ve read David Livingstone’s biography, he carried around a whole chest of medicine. He was so sickly. C. T. Studd, the one who died in the heart of Africa, was so sick for the last years of his life, he didn’t go back to England because they never would’ve let him return to the mission field. Hudson Taylor struggled with every kind of ailment and affliction. These were weak people that would never have gone if they lived in our century. Why? The mission board would’ve said, you’re too sick. And all their family would’ve said, there’s not enough healthcare.

But verse 13 says, they allowed the Spirit of the LORD to energize them. And maybe that’s why we remember them, because what they accomplished, they couldn’t have done themselves. God wants to do something through you and through me that can’t be calculated, and planned, and figured out so that He’ll get all the credit. Some people, I have no doubt they did it. They’re so smart, they’re so clever, they’re so gifted. They’re just so everything. But you know what God loves to you do? He loves to use the weak and insignificant. That’s 1 Corinthians 1, the last few verses. God has chosen the weak of this world to accomplish His great purposes through. Why? So, He gets all the credit, and He gets the credit with David.

But look at the next quality in his life because it shows up in verse 18 of 1 Samuel 16. And what we see here, and for those of you that have been on hold, now we’re in new stuff. Okay? So, get your paper back out, okay. And mark in your Bible, this is new. David’s life was an example of God to others. We see that in verse 18. Others watch our life, and God uses the action of servants to glorify Himself. If you want to be God’s servant, He wants your actions to glorify Him. And that’s what we see in David because David’s actions provided a powerful testimony to those who saw Him, and they were willing to tell what they saw. Okay, look at verse 18. Follow along as I read it. Then one of the servants answered and said. Remember Saul said, who is that? And one of the servants, verse 18, 1 Samuel 16, answered and said, look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, handsome person. And here’s the best quality of all, the end of that verse: and the LORD is with him. David was an advertisement for God.

Are you an advertisement? What are you advertising? Do you advertise the LORD? Do the people look at you and they want to get to know you because they want to get to know God? Are you an advertisement that winsomely draws people to want to know your God and they want to know how you know Him? They want to know how you interface with Him and how you have Godlikeness, and goodness, and kindness that are all manifestations of God in our life. He was an advertisement for God, and I always wonder, what kind of an advertisement we have been this week for God? Were we a good advertisement or a bad advertisement? Reminds me of what we’re all called to be.

Look back in the New Testament to 1 Timothy 4. I’m sure that those of you that have memorized verses thought of this verse when I said that David was an example, he was an advertisement for God, 1 Timothy 4, because when these people were willing to tell what David was like, they said that he was skillful playing mighty man of valor, man of war, prudent in speech, and the LORD was with him. 1 Timothy 4:12, this is what Paul told his son in the faith, his disciple Timothy to remember. 1 Timothy 4:12, let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers—be an example, an advertisement, a living advertisement for God in what you say—in word, in conduct—what you do—in love—what you sacrifice for. Do you have self-love? Are you a lover of yourself? As it says, in the perilous times people are going to just be self-lovers and self-thinkers and absorbed in self. No, love is sacrifice. Are you sacrificing yourself for others? In spirit, in faith, in purity. Be an example, Paul told Timothy. David was an example. That’s why God loved to empower him because when He empowered him, David was a living advertisement for God. Now you have the Spirit, and I have the Spirit, and we are indwelt by God, and we can walk around being a billboard, an advertisement, an arrow pointing men to the source, and women to the source, and to young people to the source of what makes us different, and it’s the Lord.

Back to 1 Samuel 16 and look at 18 once again and think about this. David’s life was an example of godliness to others. God uses the action of His servants for His glory. David was a powerful testimony. He was a powerful testimony in speech, and it was all because at the end of that verse, people noticed the prime facet of his life, the primary quality: the LORD was with him. And if you think about that, I always, my mind goes back to old Joseph in the prison, unjustly accused, laid in irons, crying out for all that he was going through to God as the hundred and fifth Psalm tells us. But what it says is that the whole time Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him. And that’s all you need to succeed is the Lord to be with you. And the Lord wants to be with us, and He wants to live out through us. And so, we see that David’s life was an example. So, what do people see in my life? What do they remember? What do they report to others? It’s a good question to be pondering is what others see in my life, something they report to others that pleases God are they say, boy, he is really caught up with himself, really driven for his career. Or what is it that people, when they see us and they talk about us to other people, what is it they point out? In verse 18 of 1 Samuel 16, they said, this man is someone the LORD is with. That’s what we should want to be: something that pleases the LORD.

Look at the 19th verse, the next quality of God’s servant. David’s life displayed true humility. And this is what God likes. God likes to use humble servants for His glory. Remember what James said? If we humble ourselves before the Lord, He’ll lift us up. God resists the proud but gives grace, shovels it on, the humble. God uses humble servants. David never sought the spotlight. If you look at David’s life, he didn’t like the spotlight.

Daniel, another kindred heart with David, didn’t like the spotlight. Remember what Daniel said when the king was bringing out all these gold chains and robes and everything? And he says, you can give that to somebody else. But I will tell you what you need to know, King [Belshazzar], because there is a God in Heaven, and I’m going to point to Him. But he didn’t want the spotlight. David didn’t want the spotlight. David resisted the pride that often tempts us after great accomplishments. What was the great accomplishment? He just got anointed. David just got anointed by the prophet of the LORD, by the representative of God! He was picked out of his family. He was marched in front of them. They all were shown he’s the man, he’s anointed, he’s God’s man, he’s going to be the next king. And David never succumbed to the temptations of pride that come after great accomplishments. David had a job to do, and he humbly did it. He was consistent, faithful, and dependable as a humble servant.

Look what verse 19 says, therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, send me your son David. Now what does the next part of the verse say? Who is with the sheep. Now, wait a minute. After David was anointed by Samuel as the next king, what did he do? You just saw Samuel anointing him in verse 13. In verse 19, where’s David? He’s back with the sheep. You know what’s so amazing about this to me? Did he hang up a sign and say, King David lives here, and put his feet up and get out a scepter and say, you go wash the sheep? No, no, no. He went back to his obscure, humble, monotonous job with those dumb and dirty sheep. God uses humble servants. David didn’t change a bit from pre-anointed as king to post-anointed as king. He didn’t read the newspaper articles about himself. He didn’t get intoxicated with his own reputation. He just went on. See, the humility. He just kept on being David, servant of the LORD. David never seemed to let life go to his head, whether he tended sheep, worked as a courier for his dad during the war taking provisions to his brothers, whether he defeated Goliath, as we’ll see in the next chapter, whether he had been hired by the government, King Saul, and worked in the various departments. He was an entertainer. We’re going to see in the next few verses he was an entertainer. He was one of the best entertainers in the world of his day because he’s the one the king wanted to personally entertain him. Have you ever noticed what entertainers do? They become walking big balloons. They just, big egos. They just, entertainers. They just got to be big. David never got that entertainment syndrome. He played his harp militarily. He was sent out as the greatest commando; never thought he was a Rambo himself. He didn’t think he was great. Finally, he became a member of the King’s cabinet. He sat at Saul’s table as an advisor to the king. Didn’t get swollen up with that either. God energized this humble servant, and God uses humble servants. When Saul sent messengers to Jesse in verse 19 and says, send me your son, David. He was David who is with the sheep. He’s humble. David’s life displayed true humility. After being elevated to being king, David goes on with life. He stays the same humble servant of the LORD he was before that day.

God loves humble servants. Look at verse 23, David’s life also, not only was he a humble servant; David’s life was a ministry to others, a ministry. Even the word ministry speaks of a ministering servant. In the New Testament, ministry is a derivative of what? A slave. It’s the work of a slave. That’s what deacons are. Deacons minister; deacons are slaves in the New Testament context. They’re ministering servants. That’s what we’re all to be. In fact, Paul the apostle calls himself Paul the deacon, the ministering slave. David is a servant. He ministered to others, and God uses the ministry of servants for His glory. Verse 23, and so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul—and that wasn’t a positive thing; that was a troublesome spirit—that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. And look at this: then Saul would become refreshed and well, verse 23 says, and the distressing spirit would depart from him. Boy, did David have a ministry in the lives of others!

David’s love and passion for God warmed the souls of those around him. It started back when those who saw him, in verse 18, describe him. And they said, man, this guy is skillful with the harp, just, the LORD is with him. When he does what he does, it warms our souls. And Saul says, I have a cold soul, and I need someone to warm my soul. Go get him. And so, this Spirit-energized servant walks in to the presence of this demonized Saul. And that’s what Saul was: demonized Saul. And David ministered to him in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do you have a ministry? Do you allow God to energize you? Does your passion for God warm the souls of those around you? It’s hard to warm the souls of the saints because I’m surrounded by warm hearts. Whenever I think of this, I always think about before I was in full-time vocational ministry. Don’t you remember? Some of you still are out there in the cold, cruel world. Do you remember what it’s like with those heartless, cutthroat, competitive, dishonest at any moment business people that sometimes you have to work with. And I remember I used to come home to Bonnie and tell her all my escapades with the management when they’d come in from New York to travel with me as a salesman. And how, at the end of the day, they would stop and ask questions. And they’d say, how can you be a salesman and be honest? Because I used to take returns. Salespeople always are too busy to take returns of defective stuff or overstocked stuff. And I always took the returns, and the management says, how can you do that? I said, it always pays off. Always pays off. If you’re honest, they’ll order from you. I just thought, honesty always pays. You can be a ministry to others. Almost everybody I worked with in the old days when I was corporate sales, almost all of them before long would accept a Bible or would talk, take the tract and talk about it because Spirit-energized ministry warms the hearts even of the lost. At least warms them, up and the Spirit of God gives them an opportunity to hear about the Lord.

And David’s spiritual influence could even calm demonized Saul. And remember, Jesus said, we’re to be salt that’s preserving the decay around us. We are to be light. We’re to be beacons of truth pointing at Christ to a lost and dying world. By your kindness and goodness, impress a lost world with Christ’s love. Do you remember what the book of Acts says Jesus Christ did? He went around doing good. We impress the world with Christ’s goodness, and kindness, and love. If we allow the Spirit of God to energize us and our passion for Christ, our passion for His love shed abroad by His Spirit will be a ministry to those around us.

Keep going on down to chapter 17 because I’m going to, we’re not going to cover David and Goliath tonight. I’m just going to pull out more of these character qualities in 1 Samuel 17. Because David also wanted to honor God with his work. He ministered to others, but also, he wanted to honor God with his work. God is glorified by diligent working servants. So few, there are 300,000 churches in America, so that means one out of every thousand Americans are pastors. Okay? So, a full-time vocational pastor is one in a thousand, but you know what God wants out of the 999 others? Right here: to honor God in your work. Look at verse 15 of chapter 17, David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. You know what David did? He loved his work. He didn’t just drop that like a hot potato. He didn’t just say, boy, I’m the anointed king, and now I’m the entertainer for the king. No, no, no, no. David was responsible. He kept at his job till it was finished.

Can you imagine what a tragedy would’ve been if David would’ve had this not-finished-stuff syndrome that you see so often nowadays? There’s so many people who go through life and they’re just littered with a whole bunch of unfinished everything. And I’m not just talking about materially; I’m talking about spiritually too. They just say, I’m going to do this, and they never do it. I’m going to do this, and they never do it. Can you imagine if David was afflicted with that? If he was not hardworking and honored God by finishing what he started? Can you imagine if we just had the LORD is my Shepherd? How would you like to go through life with only Psalm 23:1a and miss all the good parts? Especially when you get old dwelling in the house of the LORD forever that He’s going to go with us through the valley. David finished the jobs he was assigned. Think about, next time you’re blessed by something he did, as he wrote half of the Psalms, think about how much work it was to be obedient to the LORD and to finish what the LORD called him to do.

How did He honor the LORD with his work? Nothing entrusted to him was too small for him to maintain. He had been entrusted by his father with his father’s sheep, so he did it. He maintained that trust. David, by the way, go all the way down to verse 34 because David was willing to sacrifice for just one lamb. By the way, we know how large his flock was by the Hebrew word. There were three sizes of flocks. There were these huge droves that could number in the hundreds and thousands. And then there was a good-sized flock, which was a hundred to three hundred. But the word that’s used for David’s flock was what his brother pointed out. Remember, his brother says, who have you left with your few sheep? So, he had less than a hundred by the word for that flock. He had a little flock. But you know what David was concerned with? Just one little lamb. Look at verse 34, but David said to Saul—here’s David getting to testify to this demonized King Saul—your servant used to keep his father’s sheep. He wasn’t ashamed of what God entrusted him to do through his dad. He wasn’t embarrassed of how lowly that is. When a lion or a bear came—look at verse 34—and took a lamb out of the flock. He says, when a lamb—one—got taken. Verse 35, I went out after it—the lion or the bear—and struck it and delivered the lamb from its mouth. Did you catch that? David cared for one lamb. God saw he wanted to honor God with his work, that he was concerned. He could have said, man, I got most of them safe, Dad, only lost a couple. No, he wouldn’t let one get away and get carried off by a bear or a lion. He struck it and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and the end of verse 35, and when it rose against me. I don’t know if he hit it with a staff or bonked it with a slingshot, I don’t know. But when it came to the lion or the bear, I caught it by its beard and struck and killed it. That was pretty concerned for one sheep. What I think about is a shepherd. As a shepherd, David was willing to risk his own life for one lamb. Why? Because his dad entrusted him with that flock, because that was his job. He was supposed to do it. That’s what he was called to do. It was for his family. That’s their livelihood. It was for David to know that he could follow through and do what he was supposed to do. And if he was supposed to do that, and if his dad said, you’re supposed to protect those sheep, then he was going to protect those sheep. And he did it! An amazing thought. David had to risk his life for a lamb for his dad, for his family. He took life seriously and responsibly.

By the way, when do great men and women become great men and women? When they’re little men and little women, and they start taking life responsibly. Why is that? Keep your finger here and listen to Jesus in Matthew 25 because when I read about David, I can hear Christ’s voice in the background. Okay, Matthew 25. I want you to look at Matthew 25 verse 21 because David had been entrusted with something small. He was very faithful, and this is what Jesus says in Matthew 25:21. This is how Jesus, who’s going to judge whether or not we were a good and faithful servant, this is the way He measures our lives. Matthew 25:21, his lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. And this is the parable showing who the servant that God will honor, who he is. He’s the one that was faithful in little things.

Most people just forget the little things. They’re looking for the big things, and God says, no, no, it’s the little things you’re forgetting that I’m measuring your life by. Most of us will rarely be able to do a big thing. We won’t be able to translate the Bible into some language like William Carey did, probably most of us. Most of us will not be able to open up the entire land of China to the Gospel like Hudson Taylor did. Most of us will not have 5,000 converted cannibals that were totally transformed by the Gospel of Christ like C. T. Studd did, or raise millions of dollars like George Müller did, and actually raise an entire generation in godliness as he brought thousands of young people through his homes and trained them in Bristol, England, 150 years ago. Most of us will never do that, but God isn’t looking for the big things.

He’s looking, in Matthew 25:21, who was faithful over a few things? Who got all the grief in the talent deal? The one that got one and buried it. That’s the one that got in trouble. The one that got five only made five. The one that got 10 made 10. Big stuff. The one that got one got in trouble because he buried it. Now, there are spiritual implications to that, but just let’s go on the surface. Okay, and think about this, verse 21. It is a continuation of our little choices that makes us great. You’ll never become something in the future you are not doing right now. Your current habits and character will only enlarge. Are you responsible like David, or careless like his brothers? That is something we need to think about. Are you self-absorbed like Saul was, or are you others-oriented like David was?

While you’re in Matthew, keep going over a couple books to Luke 16:10. Hear Jesus’ voice again, okay. Luke 16 and verse 10. A little bit further to the right. Jesus says, he, Luke 16:10, who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. What has God entrusted to you? Adults, He’s given you a marriage if you’re married. He’s given you a job if you have a job. He’s given you a family if you have a family. Are you being faithful in little things? What has He entrusted you to? Young person, what’s He entrusted you? Are you going to school? Do you have a room? Do you have a little brother or sister? Do you have a job? What is it? What little thing has He entrusted you to? Because if you can’t be faithful in that little thing, how can he give you bigger things? That’s what He’s talking about here. He says, how can I give you what is much if you can’t be watching over what is little. It’s not how big something is; it’s whether or not you’re responsible. It’s whether or not you are a servant. David wanted to honor the LORD with his work, and God is glorified when we’re diligent in our work. And he was diligent in what was little, and God honored him.

Real quickly, back to 1 Samuel 17, and let’s do a little bit more before we go home tonight, because David also wanted to honor God with his habits. God is either honored or dishonored by the habits of His servants. There’s a lot of writing about this, the habits of highly successful people. What are the habits of God’s servants? Here are some habits that are really amazing. Have you noticed David’s habits in 1 Samuel 17:20? This verse lists several. David is disciplined, responsible, trustworthy, and obedient. It says in verse 20, David arose early in the morning. He had what I affectionately call mind over mattress. Okay? He could get up. You know what Proverbs says about the sluggard? They turn on their bed like a door on its hinges. They just flip flop, flip flop, flip flop, flip flop, and they wear out the snooze button on their alarm. It’s just perpetual. Now, I’m an observer. I look at this auditorium, and the clock is right there. Did you know the same people come in the same number of minutes late almost every week? Did you know that? I notice that! you choose to be 12 minutes late, 15 minutes late, 17, some of you 21. It’s just like clockwork. I sit up in my office a lot of times, finishing up my Sunday morning message, and I watch the Sunday school crowd come in. The same people are running across the parking lot every week at the same time. It’s like their clock is off by however many minutes. Do you know what? God wants us to honor Him with our habits. Some people have the habit of making everyone wait for them. Do you think that honors God? No, it’s our choice. David rose early in the morning. He left the sheep with a keeper. He had a habit of being responsible. He disciplined his body. He said, get out of bed and get up, body. And the body did.

And then he was responsible. He left the sheep with a keeper. This was the anointed king. This was the entertainer of the king. He didn’t have to watch those sheep. He took his sheep and asked someone to watch them for him. He left the sheep with a keeper, and then he took the things, and this was important David, and yet he took the things his dad sent to his brothers. He could have conveniently forgotten all that stuff, not messed around with it, and he went as Jesse commanded him. David wanted to honor God with his habits. David had some neat habits. He was disciplined, he was responsible, he was trustworthy, he was obedient. Do you really think that’s the first time he acted that way? Do you think this was his first time that he had good habits? No, no, no.

Be careful what habits you allow to grow up and take hold in your life. Every action and habit we allow has either a positive or a negative consequence in our lives. Beware of bad habits and sinful action because sin always will pay us back. If you cultivate the flesh, then the Scriptures say, from the flesh will reap corruption. Sin always pays us back with boredom, guilt, shame, loneliness, confusion, emptiness, loss of purpose, not to speak of loss of rewards. If we have the habit of indulging ourself, our flesh, we will lose our rewards. Obedience always produces eternal blessings.

And finally, verse 25, and we’ll come back to this. David lastly wanted to honor God with his life. I love this. He had a divine perspective. He was God-fearing. Immediately, David always thought of one thing. When he comes into a situation, he didn’t think, what can I do for myself? What can I get out of this for myself? How can I advance myself? He thought, what can I do for the LORD? He wanted to honor the LORD of his life. Look at these last two verses 17:25 and 26. Chapter 17 twenty-fifth verse, so the men of Israel said, have you seen a man who’s come up? Surely, he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, and give him his daughter, and give him his father’s house exemption from taxes. In other words, they were telling all the great rewards that someone could earn. But not David. He’s not interested in that stuff. Verse 26, then David spoke to the men who stood by him and said, what shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? He didn’t say, how can I advance myself? How can I get the king’s daughter? How can I get taxes off? How can I become superhero? He says, what can I do for God? This enemy is defying God. What are we going to do about that?

David wanted to honor God with his life. God wants us, as His servants, to give our lives back to Him. We sang about it this morning; I leave you with a thought tonight. Give your life back to God. Say, lead, direct, use. How can You use me tomorrow at work? How can You use me at school? How can You use me tonight? Who do You want me to pray for if I can’t sleep tonight? Who do You want me to give that tract to that I’m going to take and pray over? What do You want me to do this week until we gather again, or You take me home? I am Your servant.

Let’s stand before the Lord and commit ourselves back to Him and tell Him that we want to honor You, O God, with our lives. Bow with me. Father in Heaven, I pray that we would cultivate those holy habits that make us useful, and those holy habits energized by Your Spirit. Make us those who want to give our life back to You. And we want even our habits to revolve around You. And we want to be disciplined, and trustworthy, and responsible, and obedient, energized by Your Spirit to say, Lord, I’m Your servant. We’re a testimony, we’re an advertisement. What are we advertising? Anything that’s out of control, be it our tongue, our finances, or our calendar. It is just a testimony that You’re not in control of that part of our life. Help us to not think so highly of ourselves that we do not put everything under Your lordship, every part of our life. May we honor you and say, we are Your servants, and that’s what we want to be. Jesus, Lord, be our Master. Hear our hearts as we whisper back to You, we give ourselves to You. In the name of Jesus, all of God’s servants said, amen. And let’s go serve the Lord!

NOTES

So, whose life is considered important to God? Well, who did God chose to write more about than any other single person in the whole history of the world? The answer is the young man we met this morning.

Please open to Acts 13:22

And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ NKJV

Acts 13:36 “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. NIV

David was “God-hearted” which meant he served God’s purposes. The word “served” is the verb form (hupereteo) of the word for an under rower (huperetes) that we have often studied as a model of how to serve the Lord.

David was under God’s command, he did what the Lord asked him to do, willingly unseen and obscure—always wanting the Lord to get all the glory. A simpler way to say that is—David was God’s servant all his days. No wonder Paul uses the very same concept to describe his own life and ministry.

What is a person’s life like when they are committed to being God’s servant? God wants to explain that to us! First–

DAVID’S LIFE WAS ON GOD’S MIND

God uses the unchangeable features of servants for His Glory!

David’s family life again shows God’s grace. He was not oldest, strongest or most likely to succeed. He was overlooked and even abused. But what matters is if God has His hand upon you! God uses our circumstances! David is the youngest, David is neglected, David is unwanted, and David is left out. Yet with all that potential life warping treatment—David just keeps following the Lord he loved. God’s choice of the younger over the elder is another picture of His grace as we’ve already seen with Abel, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and now see with David!

1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”

DAVID’S LIFE WAS DISCIPLINED

God uses the disciplined lives of servants for His Glory!

God uses the diligent. He is handsome and hard working. When the Samuel sent for David they called him from where? They knew he would be right where he was supposed to be, watching the flocks!

1 Samuel 16:12a So he sent and brought him in.

Check out Psalm 132 for a moment. What did David do during those monotonous, endless hours with the dumb, fearful and easily wandering sheep?

1. Note in v. 3-4 he sought God ahead of personal comforts;

2. v. 5 He made time for the Lord;

3. v. 6 this was as a shepherd boy;

4. v. 7 he longed for God;

5. v. 9a he was pondering the priority of personal purity;

6. v. 9b he was strengthened by righteous living because the righteous are bold as a lion, they have quietness and assurance from God and their hearts overflow with joy!

DAVID’S LIFE WAS AVAILABLE FOR GOD TO USE

God uses the available lives of servants for His Glory!

David was chosen by God because God is always on the lookout for servants!

1 Samuel 16:12b Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”

What is a someone after God’s heart like? They are God’s servants. They are in harmony with God, burdened with what burdens God, obeying all they know that matters to God. In others words—their heart is all God’s. Is your heart for God? Does He have your heart? Is it all His?

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” NKJV

David was on God’s mind (1st Samuel 13:14); he was loyal (1st Chronicles 16:9); and as God later reveals—David was a man of integrity (Psalm 78:72).

Psalm 78:70-72 He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds; 71 From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. NKJV

David was schooled by sheep which vary little in their habits, they walk so often down the same path it is soon a rutted canyon.

• Sheep are helpless – they can’t even clean themselves.
• Sheep are dumb – they can’t even find food unless they are led to it.
• Sheep are dirty – they walk around and collect any and all filth they come into contact with.
• Sheep are helpless, dumb, and dirty – and can only be cared for by the patient.

David was forged by God in the desert as he watched the sheep. His life was trained by solitude. He will was shaped by obscurity. His will was steeled by monotony. His mind was trained by reality. When God trains us on the inside He takes His time.
So David was a patient man, who sat on the same hills as his grandfathers had sat upon, watching the same stars and seeking the same God. Only God saw a man of integrity, a man of loyalty, a man God could trust and count on!
DAVID’S LIFE WAS EMPOWERED BY THE LORD

God uses His Spirit to empower servants for His Glory!

Never forget that it is God who will empower His servants. The Spirit of God anointed David—and anyone else who ever does anything worth anything for God. Nothing apart from God will last. Only what is attached to God will have any value.

1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

Do you know what that verse does to my heart? Each time I read it my heart wells up with the cry of the hymn writer—

Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.

DAVID’S LIFE WAS AN EXAMPLE OF GODLINESS TO OTHERS

God uses the actions of servants for His Glory!

Others watch our life. David’s actions provided a powerful testimony to those who saw him—and they were willing to tell what they saw. What kind of advertisement have we been this week for God? A good one or a bad one?

1 Samuel 16:18 Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.”

Does that remind you of what we are all to be? Listen to Paul—

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. NKJV

What do people see in my life, what do they remember, and what do they report to others? Is it something that pleases the Lord?

DAVID’S LIFE DISPLAYED TRUE HUMILITY

God uses humble servants for His Glory!

David never sought the spotlight. David resisted the pride that often tempts us after great accomplishments. David had a job to do and he humbly did it. He was consistent, faithful, dependable, and as a humble servant–genuinely unaware of himself. A test of humility is whether or not one is unconcerned who gets the credit.

1 Samuel 16:19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

After David was anointed by Samuel as the next king—what did he do? Did he hang up a sign, “King David lives here”? No—he went back to his obscure, humble, monotonous job with those dumb and dirty sheep!

David never seemed to let life go to his head–he tended the sheep, worked as a courier for his dad during the war by taking provisions to his brothers in the army. Then after defeating Goliath he had been hired by the government (King Saul) and worked in the various departments: entertainment (he played his harp), military (he was sent out to raid and kill the enemy Philistines), and finally as a member of the cabinet (he sat at Saul’s table as his son-in-law and advised him on security and military issues and led a squad of warriors for the king.

After being elevated to being the king, David goes on with life, stays the same humble servant of the Lord that he was before that day.

DAVID’S LIFE MINISTERED TO OTHERS

God uses the ministry of servants for His Glory!

It produces comfort in others. David’s love and passion for God warmed the souls of those around him. David spiritual influence even calmed demonized Saul.

1 Samuel 16:23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

We are to be salt (preserving decay around us) and light (the beacon of truth pointing at Christ) to a lost and dying world around us. By your kindness and goodness impress a lost world with Christ’s love!

DAVID WANTED TO HONOR GOD WITH HIS WORK

God is glorified by diligent working servants.

David was responsible. He kept at his job until it was finished. Canb you imagine what a tragedy it would have been if David didn’t finish things—like the 23rd Psalm? Oh, I’ll get to that someday…

1 Samuel 17:15 But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

Nothing entrusted to him was too small to maintain. David cared for one lamb!

1 Samuel 17:34-35 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. NKJV

Matthew 25:21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ NKJV

As a shepherd, David had to risk his life for a lamb, for his dad, and for his family. He took life seriously and responsibly. By the way—when do great men and women start to be great? Isn’t it just a continuation of many little choices? You will never become something in the future that you are not doing now. Your current habits and character only will enlarge. Are you responsible or careless? Are you self absorbed or others oriented?

What has God entrusted to you? Adults, you may have a marriage, a family, a job, and a ministry. Young people, you may have a smaller brother or sister, school, your room, a bike, a job? What are you doing with what God has put under your care? Jesus said something about little things once.

Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. NKJV

DAVID WANTED TO HONOR GOD WITH HIS HABITS

God is either honored or dishonored by the habits of His servants.

Did you notice David’s habits? This next verse lists several. David is disciplined, responsible, trustworthy, and obedient.

1 Samuel 17:20 so David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle

Do you really think that was the first time he acted like that? Be careful what habits you allow to grow up and take hold in your life! Every action and habit we allow has an either positive or negative consequence in our lives. Beware of bad habits and sinful actions.

Sin always pays us back with boredom, guilt, shame, loneliness, confusion, emptiness, loss of purpose, not to speak of–loss of rewards. But obedience always produces eternal blessings!

Galatians 6:7-9 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

DAVID WANTED TO HONOR GOD WITH HIS LIFE

God wants us as His servants to give our lives back to Him.

He had a Divine perspective. He was God fearing. So immediately David thought of one thing—what can I do for the Lord!

1 Samuel 17:25-26 So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

Slides

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