Encouraging Yourself
The 4 "E's" of Building up You • Sermon • Submitted
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Encouraging Yourself
Encouraging Yourself
1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Rough situation...
Real problem
Recovery of those lost
Reconciling within self of what you did wrong
Restoring of relationships -
family, friend, follow-ship
Regaining a course of action - where do we go from here?
David was reeling in his own mind -
He was devastated by what had taken place
He had assessed his own error - and would be harder on himself than anyone else would ever be...
But… David - as the leader was not afforded “down time” to be able to process everything… (he would have to do that later)
Leadership didn’t allow him to work through all of the normal processes for himself - A Leader - leads...
He was the leader...
He was expected to have the plan
He was responsible to do the right thing “now”…
there isn’t time to point fingers
there isn’t time to blame
there isn’t any time for any of that… David had to be ready for action...
So, we will look at what he did - because:
trouble is coming our way…
problems will come into our sphere of life
hurts, harms - heartaches… await us all...
In our theme for the Year - Building Up You - the goal is to help each of us - grow, mature and be able to be the believer and leader that God wants us to be...
We lead ourself
We lead our family
We lead employee’s
We lead co-workers
We lead in ministry
We lead - leaders, followers, contemporaries…
Encouraging Yourself
Encouraging Yourself
Several observations:
A Case to Grieve
2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
It is ok to grieve
Individually
Corporately
they all had suffered loss
they all had suffered injury
Wives
Sons
Daughters
Grieving is normal - we have been made in the image of God -
God has given to us the emotions and senses we have to enjoy and experience this wonderful journey called life.
Sometimes the emotions are hard and hurtful...
loss of loved one -
We are coming up on the 2 year anniversary of Pops passing away… There is a hurt and a void that has not gone away - The pain has become manageable - but it is always there...
Bro. Ormosen, Bro. Patterson, The Poss’s
Scores of people who are on the other side of eternity… -
Bro. Franklins Dad, Mrs. Franklin’s Mom - Gatlin’s grandson - Bro. Deren’s dad
Friends / family- we could continue the list -
A Choice to Encourage
5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
It’s a choice to encourage...
Out of everything that was going on, David chose to encourage himself in the Lord...
He knew - more than a
recovery plan
reconciliation
reconnaissance
He needed to keep get himself back on track...
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Encouraged himself:
to grow or make strong; to have or show courage
to tie fast - to bind; to be constant, to make or to be firm, to seize
So what is it that:
binds us; makes us strong in the Lord?
Attributes of God
Love
mercy
grace
goodness
power
might
Omniscience
Omnipotence
Omnipresence
Holiness
Justice
O what a Savior, O what a Savior, O what a Savior is mine!!!
Actions of God
Timeline:
Creation of the world / mankind
Coming of the Savior -
Cross - salvations price
Coming again - Rapture
Coming back - 2nd coming -
binding of Satan
Millenial reign
Great white thrown Judgement
Satan will be thrown into hell
New heaven / New earth
Live eternally with God
This gives us courage…
It get’s better from here!!!! Glory to God
NOT ENCOURAGING
A young couple, very much in love, were getting married in church. However, the bride was very nervous about the big occasion and so the preacher chose one verse that he felt would be a great encouragement to them. The verse was
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
The preacher asked the best man to read it during the ceremony. The preacher did not know the best man was not a regular churchgoer and did not know the difference between the Gospel of John and the First Letter of John.
During the service the best man introduced the reading by saying that the preacher felt this was a very good verse for the bride and that he would say more about it later in the service and then read
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
The preacher wanted to encourage the couple. His attempt went very wrong.
3. A Course of Action
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
8 And David inquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
He knew how to find the Lord
He knew what to do to get the answers...
Praise the Lord we don’t have to have a jewell studded ornament - that only the priest had to get direction from the Lord -
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
The Word of God
The Ability to pray
The Counsel of God - to lead, guide, direct...
Are we seeking the Lord’s direction in time of trouble - or are we trying to do it on our own?
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.
4. A Cause to Rally
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.
There was a plan / a cause worth living for...
There is more to life than living for a good time...
there is more to life than living that will perish with us...
I want my life to outlive my life - this can only happen when you invest in others and live for the eternal...
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.