With the People of God

Good Morning Family, I’m Andrew one of the pastor’s here at Hope Valley Church, and I will be finishing out our sermon series called Donkey Missions.

The passage of scripture that we have been reading from is 1 Samuel 9 and the verses we will be looking at today will be vss. 3, 5 and 6, 11 and 12, and 19 as we discuss moving forward WITH PEOPLE on your donkey missions.

Now We are going to read all the versus together, because PARTICIPATION IS BETTER THAN OBSERVATION.

As we have heard these past couple of weeks, there will be a ton of donkey missions that we end up taking in life that just don't make sense.

Working dead end jobs where you seem unfulfilled

Living arrangements that ARE NOT ideal.

Mental Health got you feeling like just getting out of bed is a victory.

Relationships where it just DOESN'T SEEM to be going anywhere.

We KNOW we need a Change, BUT we're afraid to move forward. We're afraid of what happens when we say yes.

We MIGHT EVEN KNOW what the next step Should Be , BUT there are so many things that causes us to doubt even attempting it in the first place.

AND then as a result we end up - staying in the same ol situations, - repeating the same ol cycles, - dealing with the same problems just a different day.

It's a donkey mission. But what do people have to do with these missions?

Well sometimes people start your donkey mission

Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird says “You can choose your friends but you sho’ can t choose your family, AND they’re still kin to you no matter whether you acknowledge ‘em or not, and it makes you look right silly when you dont.”

Unfortunately, that's a true statement.

Saul might have felt the same way since he was a member of the Benjamin tribe.

Now we have done 4 straight weeks of these passage of scripture so you might already know this,

BUT for those of you who don't know the tribe’s history, it's a tribe with a DARK PAST.

In fact, Saul was from the town the actual atrocity happened in Gibeah

AND as a result, the tribe was almost wiped completely out from the rest of the tribes of Israel

To say you were from the tribe of Benjamin would have been like saying you were from the roughest, poorest, most-looked-down-on group of people.

Another way of saying it, would be like you were the family member that everybody whispers under their breath or rolls eyes at when they come into Thanksgiving or Christmas.

So Saul's family DID NOT have the greatest reputation amongst the other tribes

BUT even with that his family had still managed to become wealthy for Benjamin.

AND given the fact that his family was wealthy, it is interesting that the father would send Saul to go and look for these donkeys with a servant.

Maybe in the best of scenarios, he was trying to give his son an opportunity to be a leader.

In the worst of scenarios, maybe he just thought his son couldn't do anything right and so he sent them on a donkey mission.

Whatever the reason, coming from that type of background might have affected his mentality AND what he thought he could become.

I remember my senior year in High School,

I was sitting in the room with 4 or 5 guys AND they were talking about what plans for after high school

1 of the kids said I'm going to sell drugs or die trying.

He said his daddy sold drugs, his brother sold drugs, his cousin sold drugs and that was the only way only life he knew.

And I don't know what happened to that guy after high school

BUT I do remember that even as a 18 year old kid, my heart hurt,

Because this kid’s environment affected his thoughts in such a way, that he thought the ONLY thing he would be good enough for, was selling drugs or going to jail.

People are vessels that can have a profound impact on your life. Sometimes for good sometimes for bad.

FAMILY How are your words shaping others? (are they building people up or tearing people down)

People who are affected by a negative mindset can begin to think that they are not worth anything.

That they're no good; that they're just like their mama OR they're just like their daddy.

AND because of that mentality you feel like I might as well act like everybody else is saying that you are.

We can see that this type of thought actually affected Saul, BECAUSE by verse 21 it's all REBUTS to Samuel's compliments and encouragement to be a future king.

He literally says Do You Know Where I'm From?; Do You Know Who My Family Is?; Do You Know My Past?

(Isn't that how we treat GOD), when (He says to us we can be saved, changed, have a new name)

We DONT BELIEVE it BECAUSE of our past

By his logic, which was formed by everybody else's opinion of him

Benjamite AND King COULD NOT fall in the same sentence.

How many of us have lived lives based off of what other people have said about us?

Lived Lives based on what they said we should be; what they said we could become?

How many of us have acted out? BECAUSE they felt that this game of life was rigged AND the only way to get any kind of justification was to rebel against it

AND in our state of disappointment because we couldn't choose where we started

You have LONGED deep down in your core, for something else

Something More, searching everywhere yet still coming up short

The Truth Is, the people in our lives in the beginning often have started us on donkey missions.

So we talked about how some people start us on donkey missions, BUT let's talk about some the people on the missions with us.

As I look back over my life the grace of God becomes abundantly evident.

When I was seeking meaning, searching for happiness in all the wrong places,

God Strategically Placed people of various different backgrounds to put me on a course I could have never imagined for myself

People from the campus ministry called DuRag Ministries. Asked me about it later.

They Invited me, they Challenged me, they Wouldnt Leave me alone.

Thank Goodness BECAUSE When I was in my darkest of times, they listened to me offered me community and encouragement for another day.

When we are on the donkey missions of life, that seem so mundane, filled pointless hurt, beneath what YOUR worth, LOOK AROUND YOU!

You might realize, YOUR NOT the Only One on a donkey mission BUT the people on the mission with you are just what you need to keep on your mission and make it through.

Now I’M NOT saying that every friend or person in your life is good for you.

Many of us have already encountered the negative impact of following the advice of bad friends guidance on relationships, work ethic, or even on food places

Just because somebody offers advice doesn't mean I need to take your advice.

Well you might say how do I know what's good advice and what's not?

Look around the room at this cloud of witnesses.

Every single person who has made a decision to follow Jesus was saved by jesus.

They didn't save themselves,

they didnt pick themselves up from their boot straps

they couldn't follow a three-step process into happiness,

they couldn't even endulge in enough trips, drinks, drugs to get them off the donkey mission

They simply chose to believe the promise from Jesus, that all that believed in him would be saved AND that all that gave their burdens to him would be given rest

These are all people who if they made a decision to follow Christ can help you on your missions of life.

And there are more around you than you even realize.

Saul took with him on his donkey mission a young servant. Most Hebrew translations of the word servant here is a youth or adolescent.

And I don't know about you as a young person teenager I didn't feel like going anywhere I didn't want to go yet alone on a donkey mission.

Have any of you ever been dragged somewhere you didn't want to go but because your friend said you they was going you went too,

OR because your parents said you had to.

My son's always ask me why do I have to go, because I said so. Lol.

But it's worth noting this young man chose to be present with Saul on this trip. (yes he was forced as his servant but he was present)

He probably listen to him complain about the donkey mission, how he was tired, how he was hungry, how he wanted to go home.

And when it seemed like all hope was lost, seemed like his searching was in vain. He gave his friend a different perspective.

He said, I know you have tried everything, I know you have looked everywhere, came up empty already BUT there is one you haven't tried

NOW don't think that this young servant had all the answers either. He didnt.

If we look at verse 6 of our text this young servant wasn't speaking from a personal experience but simply what he heard.

I mean he says "perhaps" OR some translations say "maybe"

Indicating that he wasn't 100% sure but what he was saying, (NOT ALOT OF CONFIDENCE)

BUT if it were even a little be true he needed to get his friend to this person.

If you're a college student, a high school student, or middle school student

You may feel like you can't share the gospel or about your faith BECAUSE you don't have all the answers you know enough.

You might be asking what do I have just like Saul asked of his servant.

I'm not tall

I'm not handsome

I'm not beautiful

I don't talk well

I'm shy

I'm not athletic

I'm not on the cheering squad

I don't have friends

We frame them as Excuses BUT they are just LIES from our Enemy who does not want us to join God's mission and purpose for our life.

All these Excuses AND Lies are about what you don't have

BUT the question IS NOT What DONT you have, BUT what do you have?

Well If you are here today or come any other Sunday you now have a promise that is uniquely different than anything else being offered.

Everything else and everyone else is saying buy this product, go these places, celebrate these trends to save yourself from your donkey mission

Only the gospel which is the good news provides the solution to your problem of life.

By encouraging us to believe in the finished work of another person, that he will it only save us but walk with you on our missions, and give you a new purpose.

So next generation, EVEN YOU have the ability to change the life of another

And that life could impact the world with a just a simple but ancient message of the good news.

But lets keep moving. Young people aren't the only people on this donkey mission that are highlighted.

Women are highlighted in verse 11 of our text. Sadly in many ancient texts, women were not represented and certainly did not have a voice.

But the author found it important that the women are highlighted in this story because they also play a role important in the people of God and ensuring people stay on the path.

Unfortunately woman are unfairly portrayed and over sexualized as property and nothing more

Yet here the women are given dignity and portrayed as people of resource

In fact, they give the most detailed description of where to find the person's Sauls looking for.

If it had been some guys answering Saul when he asked "is the seer here?"

the guys would have answered I don't know.

Or maybe offered he was inside the town somewhere

But the women said hurry, he is just ahead of you, as soon as you walk in the city, there going to be a diner. (I mean all kinds of details.)

In addition, the women kept the attention off themselves.

They didn't take Saul off his mission by talking about there mission.

Scripture tells us that Saul was a snack. Tall and handsome. Its what my wife wish I was (sorry honey get what you get and dont throw a fit.)

The women could have easily made it about them. Oops I drop my pale of water Saul can you help me

But instead they kept him on mission told him to hurry (dont waste time with me) get to the man of God.

FAMILY All that we do; ALL that we say when we are helping people on donkey missions should point God.

Every single Sunday our service teams gather and take a moment to remember that everything that they're doing to remove a distraction or take away an excuse

So that that people who come in here will see Jesus will be pointed to the one who can actually do something about their situation

It's not to say look at me look how well I serve this coffee; or look how well I sing

NO everything that we do is don't look at me look at him.

And then (as we keep talking about people) there, was Samuel the man of God we were looking for and another person on the donkey mission with Saul.

Well pastor this is really Saul's donkey mission Samuel was not on the mission with Saul.

Well actually Saul became a part of Samuels donkey mission.

You see one chapter before (chapter 3) the people of Israel are upset with Samuel.

They say that he is too old to judge Israel and has no count sons are unfit to lead them

So they demand the king like all the other nations had

So now Samuel is sent on a donkey mission because he has to go out and find a suitable leader for this rebellious people before they rebel further into anarchy than they already were.

But how many of you know that God will use the donkey missions that you are on to help somebody else on the donkey missions that they are on.

God why am I going through this why have I had to suffer through this why have I had to deal with this

Because your donkey mission just might cross path with another person's junkie mission and you need to share the promises of God with that person.

But let's stay with the story. So now we have Samuel who is what we call a season saint (everybody say seasoned). He's older elderly even.

But with that age has come experience.

Years of walking with the Lord.

Years of seeing God come through time and time again.

Years of praying experiencing heartache and joy.

This is why pastor David and I and pastor Megan have been praying since we got here for season saints to be a part of the hope valley body.

And this is no easy ask for older person. Everything that we do is geared towards the next generation our music our presentation style

But thanks be to God that there are some people who feel called to steward the next generation.

Who say I got something to contribute to this next generation.

I have a promise of God that I've been standing on that somebody else needs to hear that all the donkey missions that I've been on can give you some insight into your own donkey mission

“Somebody say I got a promise.”

But even Samuel doesn't point to himself as the solution. He doesn't say I've been following the Lord for 30 years I've been in ministry for 40 years look at me

No he begins to reveal the unique calling on Saul's life for the benefit of Saul but also to save God's people.

You see vs 16 God reveals to Samuel that Saul would be the solution his people had been crying for.

Saul had no idea what was happening , what was in-store for his life. He could only estimate his future based on his current state.

There might be someone sitting right next to you who is the key to solving the God sized problem in our world right now, BUT they haven't heard the words of encouragement from God’s people yet

But thanks be to God Samuel was obedient and looked beyond his faults (looked beyond what other people would have said about him) and gave him God's perspective for his future.

How many of you need a Godly perspective about your future?

I thank God for the people he has sent to give me his perspective on things while I was on donkey missions.

People who could see what God was doing, even when I could not either because of hurt and I didn't want to OR because of where of my current position in life I couldn't see how I would get there.

I thank God for a Ben.

Who as a vietnamese white man saw a black man and was OBEDIENT to have a jesus centered conversation

And invite me to a church called grace covenant in VA

And encourage me to start a small group

And tell me I was destined to be a pastor, even when I outright rejected it. He kept reminding me.

Hope valley there might not a ps. Andrew if there wasn't a ben

All Divine intervention is, is God choosing to enter into our toughest of times, using the right people, at the right time who choose to cooperate with God’s purpose by being obedient.

Some of you may be here today because somebody wouldn't stop inviting you to church

If so, thank that person, AND THEN thank God; acknowledge him for NOT overlooking you

That he didn't forget you. That you matter to him. You are always on his mind.

Saul did not understand how vast or important his future would be.

He could only see or care about the donkeys, but Samuel helped Saul see that God cares about all the small details and more.

You might be saying God i just need enough money for the rent. But he is saying I got the provision for the rent AND I want you to use your talents on mission

You might be saying God I just want a better relationship with my family, he is saying I got the reconciliation AND see leading a company with my values

God cares about the small details. Your life matters to him more than you know, but he has so much more store for you.

TO find out more you just have to start walking with him.

So let me remind you really quickly how you can be the people on donkey missions with others.

God has created you to help others. To go on donkey missions with others because he saved you off yours.

The Bible says (2 Timothy 1:9), “He saved us and called us to be his own people, not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose”.

Jesus came to earth with a mission. AND he called others into that mission that would benefit the hearer and doer of the message that we call the gospel.

The gospel that God would wrap himself in flesh in his son Jesus Christ live the life that we should live and died of death that we should have died

But not just die; rose again proving that he has all power in his hand so that we might be saved an experience life more abundantly with God as it was in the beginning.

This is GOOD NEWS message that we not only receive BUT so others could experience this good news as well.

(1 Peter 2:9) says “You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you”

So hopefully after hearing this message you understand that your donkey mission is not for nothing

That you were made for a greater purpose bigger than what others have said about you

But the mission doesn't end with you hearing the good news it's essentially only beginning

So how can we be a people with others on mission

What do you have? God has given you unique talents and abilities to benefit others, and he’s gifted others with talents and abilities to benefit you.

Don't disqualify yourself because of your age, your ethnicity, your gender, your lack of schooling, your upbringing, or even your previous sin. God wants to use the manifold wisdom of his creation to manifest his glory here in the earth. And that means even using you.

Be present. Sometimes a simple jesture of community eliminates the lie from the devil that you are all alone on a donkey mission. That the cloud of witnesses give encouragement that that other people have trusted in Jesus and made, maybe i could to

Encourage. Its inevitable that when someone falls down and are ready to give up, that encouragement to give it one more shot, to try again, to look again is sometimes all thats needed.

Point to Jesus. Its about Jesus the one who cam to deliver them, the one who came to heal them, the one who came to set them free, so everything we do should point to him

When you use your God-given abilities to help others, you are fulfilling your calling.

God loves you and created you for a special purpose.

It DOESNT matter if you are outcasted, young, a servant, a woman, an old person

Whether your the person on the donkey mission or the person helping others on the donkey mission

God intentionally chooses those feel like their of no value, for his mission. Proving they have VALUE.

God gives purpose to those who feel like their past is too marred to be significant. Proving that you MATTER.

Now my HOPE is that after hearing a message like this that you will desire the something more that awaits you

But I also know the enemy will take a moment like this to tell you lies and repeat the same of fears to you.

Maybe I am what everyone else has been saying about me.

You might be saying, Yeah I know I'm on a donkey mission but this is all I know. And I’m kind of use to it now.

I like how the rapper NF says it in his new song “ I’m living in my agony, i’m too proud to to open up, to ask you to pick me up.. The truth is, i need help, but i just cant imagine who I’d be if I was happy.”

If thats you, happiness and joy unspeakable joy await you here today with the people of God.

Its no mistake that you are here today.

There are people who can help you take that next step that seems scary.

They can pray with you when your frustrated,

they can help you sit with you and cry when you DONT WANT to forgive those people who started you on your donkey missions,

they can celebrate with you when you realize all that you had been searching for was found and in Jesus and your are worth more than you could imagine.

As I close, The last thing in the passage is Samuel tells the servant to go up ahead because Saul had to make a choice.

The people on the mission with you can do everything but make the choice, that is up to you.

My grandfather use to always tell me in the word LIFE lies a choice IF you can choose eternal life in Jesus or reject it, but its still your choice.

If you want to make a choice to follow Jesus I want you to come up front after this so we can start walking with you on your donkey missions.

People praying up front

Walk with your friend We are a people who Walk WITH OTHERs on donkey missions

But before this I want you to pray this with me.