Sermon Tone Analysis

Prophets, Priests, and Kings

Broad overview-zoomed out study of a contrast of good bad leaders in God’s kingdom, and God’s sovereign role in this picture.

(However this zoomed out view is presented as stories of real people and their real life struggles of faith, and sin and following God a zoomed in picture of boots on the ground if you will.

Prayer

Prayer

We saw how God removed the corrupt priest, and replaced him with Samuel.

We saw how the people demanded a king modeled not after God, but after the other kings of this world.

Just a brief recap of where we are in our series Prophets Priests and Kings

We saw how the King of world, Saul fell and God lifted up His Own King David.

One who stand on faith, and loyalty to God, and a man after God’s own heart.

Right now, David isn’t king yet. he has been anointed, but he I he is far from the throne.

Saul, the king the people wanted doesn’t like David.

He has been throwing spears at David, throwing spears while David tries to soothe Him.

So David is on the run.

Last time we talked about how God provided for David, feeding him and providing some weaponry.

But even that seemed to be part of this bigger prophetic picture as later Jesus would use that very incident to call attention to struggle he was facing as he confronted the Pharisees.

Much of the rest of the Book of 1 Samuel is consumed with this epic chase through the wilderness as Saul goes after David, to eliminate him.

This chase seems to go on.

It takes up about a third of the book of 1 Samuel.

It almost makes us grow weary.

SO much of the rest of the Book of 1 Samuel is consumed with this epic chase through the wilderness as Saul goes after David, to eliminate him.

Have you ever seen a 1993 movie staring Harrison Ford called the Fugitive.

The entire movie is actually one long chase scene.

There are other action movies like that.

They just move from one chase scene to the next.

I don’t find those movies very relaxing.

When you watch one of those movies it can be exhausting as you are on pins and needles watching the long chase.

If we get exhausted watching movies like that.

Or if it seems long and repative to page through this montenous chase scene at the end of 1 Samuel imagine what it was like for David.

A Kingdom Hopper

Today we come to these seeming insignifcant rather brief stories of David in Gath, and then as he hides out and his mighty men join him.

But, in these two stories, David has written 4 different Psalms.

During the struggle is when God is most revealed, and it when we learn the most about God.

In we have and .

And in , we have and .

So as we get started, let me ask you a question.

Have you ever questioned your call?

When I use that word call, I am not only talking about a call to paid or full-time ministry.

God’s word tells us that we are all called.

First off, all of us all of us are called to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are all called to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross in payment for your sins, and rose three days later.

We are called to believe that and to live a life filled with the Holy Spirit.

We are also called to various ministries in our families and our place of work.

We are called to share the gospel with our family and with our friends and with our neighbors.

We are called here to this body of believers.

We are called to various positions in the church.

We are called to to use the gifts God has given us to further his kingdom.

So when I ask if you have ever questioned your call, what I am asking you, is first, have you ever questioned your call to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Have you ever wondered, has it ever crossed your mind that somehow, because of something you did, have you wondered to yourself, does God still love me, or is what I am going through punishment for something I did?

Am I indeed forgiven?

Are these spears whizzing by head because I have somehow did something and God is getting back at me?

Or have you ever stepped up to serve the church in a certain way, sacrificed, gave your heart and soul to the ministry, whether in the kitchen or in the classroom or on the property, and then a spear whizzes by your head, and you begin to wonder, Is this what I should do?

So you think maybe this isn’t what I should do.

Are these spears whizzing by head becasue I have somehow Or have you ever stepped up to serve the church in a certain way whether in the kitchen or in the classroom or on the property, and suddenly spears whiz by your head, and you begin to wonder, Is this what I should do?

And you flee.

You flee the kingdom.

This is what David did.

Saul was trying to kill David.

He was throwing spears at his head, so David fled.

He made a stop at the priests, and picking up provisions, some food and Goliath’s sword, and he fled the Kingdom.

Leaving the jurisdiction of Saul entirely and headed right into the kingdom of the enemy.

1 Sam 21:10Our text says to Achish king of Gath.

Our text says to Achish king of Gath.

How desperate must David have been?

Here he was the battle hardened commander who has killed many Philistines and he heads right into enemy territory?

1 Sam

And not only is he in enemy territory, he has with him the sword of Goliath, their champion.

He is his hometown.

The magnitude of this staggering.

Unfortunately due to recent world conflicts this scene gets played out all too often across the globe, as some of our soldiers get trapped in enemy territory, be it Afganistan or Iraq.

Have you seen the movie Blackhawk Down?

It retells the story of an American Helicopter that crashed in Mogadishu, trapping our soldiers in a brutal clash with militants.

But none of these horrible instances of being trapped with the enemy is voluntary.

David voluntarily enters into the kingdom of the enemy.

How bad to things have to be to flee into the hands of the Philistines?

Is that what we do as Christians?

Sometimes, I think we can be tempted to.

I get it the Church can be frustrating, the Church can even be hurtful, and sometimes that hurt can be so deep that we flee.

We sometimes the flee the kingdom entirely into the hands of the enemy.

We maybe turn to our favorite temptations, of sex or alcohol or drugs.

We may pull away for prayer, and reading God’s word.

We may pull away from Church entirely.

But perhaps at some point when we are in the clutches of the enemy we may wake up and come to our senses.

David realized he needed to do something, and to do it quickly.

The enemy has surely recognized him and if he doesn’t come up with a plan he will be killed.

SO he acts like a madman.

He fakes insanity.

And it works!

Achish sees David acting insane and He lets him go, and he does so with a bit a comedy as well.

The kingdom, outside of God’s kingdom apparently has plenty of madmen.

Isn’t that they way it is today outside of God’s kingdom.

As you exchange stories with co-workers and neighbors living outside of God’s kingdom and they share their lives with you, you wonder, is that other kingdom so short of madman that I need to be a part of it?

Now here is another temptation for kingdom hoppers.

It is really easy to take credit for what God has dome to bring you back.

To say, You know, What a Brilliant plan I came up with to fake my insanity to be protected.

What a great guy I am for managing to avoid the temptations outside of the kingdom and make my way back.

But David doesn’t do that.

No, He gives all credit to God for the protection and the provision.

During this period of Kingdom Hopping, David learned a little something about the Lord.

our call to worship was one of 2 Psalms written during this short little episode of kingdom hopping.