Misc. - "A Man of Action - Looking at Jonathan" - 1 Samuel 13

"A Man of Action”

The Patriot is one of my all time favorite movies.

If you have never seen it, it stars Mel Gibson and has been out for two decades so I don’t mind spoiling anything for you.

On the screen was Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) along with his two boys Nathan and Samuel.

Early in the movie, Benjamin was opposed to South Carolina joining the war because of his children, but when the British commander Tavington shoots one of his sons and captures another one of his sons, he now had a reason to fight.

One of the most iconic scenes in the movie shows Martin taking out about 20 British troops with two of his sons. He rescues his oldest son, and overcame the enemy.

Benjamin Martin found a reason to be spurred into action!

He got to the point where he said, “it’s time to fight...”

Just like he had a reason to fight, we do too!

1. Manhood and masculinity is being attacked - the church needs to speak up.

Our culture is shouting so many mixed messages to men: be tough, be nice, be flexible, have convictions, lead, don’t be overbearing, be strong, be sensitive, be successful, look good, have it all together… and on and on

. It can be confusing and paralyzing, and it’s leaving our churches full of men who don’t know what it means to be an authentic man.This morning we are going to jump right into a battle scene where Jonathan had a reason to act… he had a reason to fight.

Marxism is trying to destroy the nuclear family and familial roles… it’s time to fight.

The feminist movement manhood.

the self-help movement is speaking into manhood. It’s time to man up.

You know the same can be said of us… we have a reason to fight, but let me ask, are you a man of action?

1 Samuel 13:23–14:15 KJV 1900

23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. 1 Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father. 2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; 3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. 6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. 7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. 8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. 9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. 10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. 11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. 12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. 13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. 14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow. 15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

Wow… how awesome is that? Here’s a man of action that had a purpose in fighting, and God delivered him in a mighty way. So today, I want to show you three things as we think about how we can be a man of action.

Passive vs. active.

Jonathan was a man of action! But think about how he got here and let’s focus on the reason behind his fight:… notice three things with me tonight:

1. The Backstory

We first meet Jonathan in 1 Samuel 13. He, as we will find out, is a man of action. He’s a man that is not going to sit on his hands and let life just simply go by.

I want to show you a few things about Jonathan.

Notice:

a. His Name

Jonathan means, “whom Jehovah gave...” or “God Given.”

God placed Jonathan in this time for a specific purpose and reason.

Like Jonathan, you are here for a specific purpose and reason by God.

To make disciples.

To fellowship with Him

To obey His will and Word.

b. His King

Who knows who Jonathan’s dad is?

King Saul.

He was the son of the King! He had something to fight for!!

Recognize this truth, too. You (if you’re a believer) are the son of the God of this Universe. you have access to the King! We have something to fight for.

c. His Role

He was the son of the king of Israel, and he had several reasons to fight to protect the throne in Israel.

Look back in 1 Samuel 13:1-4

1 Samuel 13:1–4 KJV 1900

1 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. 3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. 4 And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

Remember these three things:

The enemy HATES when Christian men are in Christian action.

Don’t let your failure or someone else’s failures stop you from fighting.

Men of Action don’t live with a victim mentality.

You would think that he would then develop a victim mentality.

You would think he’d just hang up the sword and quit… but no, he still had a reason to fight. Before we get to his purpose in the fight, answer this question together at your table.

has your personal failure or the failure of someone else caused you to become passive?

Have you ever failed and or someone around you failed and it led to you growing passive?

Jonathan had a reason to be active… So we first saw the backstory, now I want you to notice something else that drove him into action:

2. The Blacksmith

As we discuss the blacksmith in Israel, I want to turn your focus to the enemy. Jonathan certainly had a reason to be in action, and it had to do with how the enemy was at work.

Before we get to the subpoints, let me say:

The enemy wants influence, then dependence, then full control.

The enemy does that like this:

1. Desensitize,

2. Normalize,

3. Demonize

4. Idolize

5. Legalize

6. Victimize

a. The Enemy was Stealth

1 Samuel 13 - they began to move all around the israelites.

b. the Enemy was Strategic

Who was Israel’s Blacksmith? the Philistines!!

If we aren’t active, we will give the enemy influence, become dependent, and give him complete control.

1 Samuel 13:19

Strategy of the enemy - selfishness.

c. The Enemy was Strong

For the church:

CRT - preach a gospel that is false.

"Cultural Marxism seeks to capture 5 cultural institutions: the social, political, educational, religious, and most importantly, the familial life of a nation." (pg. 22)

"Feminine Ferment is said to be the key to liberating the family from multiple forms of oppression and the capitalistic pattern of passing on wealth from one generation to another." (pg. 23)

The Media

"The media not only reflects the culture, but it directs the culture and we are expected to follow." (pg. 30)

Prosperity Gospel/Self Help

"Americans are spending $2.1 billion on the 'mystical service market' trying to find meaning by looking at themselves, trying to hear a voice from the heavens that would give them some hope and direction.'" (pg. 37 - source Erin Griffith "Venture Capital is putting it's money into astrology" on New York Times)

For the Home:

Men- money, power, and sex

Your career cannot satisfy you, brother.

Your phone

Pornography. It’s time to get real about that bro...

The way to be active is to see

We stay silent because we want to be nice and grace-centered. It’s time to get active!

What are you actively doing to protect yourself? Where do you see the enemy around you?

3. The Battle

Now we get to the battle at hand...

a. He was Bold

no body else chose to do anything. Lets go bro.

b. He was Believing

Surrounding yourself with passive men will produce passive results.

1 Samuel 14:6–7 KJV 1900

6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. 7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

c. He was Backed

1 Samuel 14:7 KJV 1900

7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

Do you have men in your life that is willing to affirm you?

Being a man of action:

Realizes that the bible and Jesus is worth responding to.

Recognizes the enemy around you

Surrounds yourself with other like-minded men.