LIFE LESSONS TO PREPARE YOU FOR SERVICE

INTRODUCTION

Let us begin this morning by considering a few significant quotations on experience:

"If a man could sell his experiences for what they cost him, he would never need Social Security."

"The school of experience would be more pleasant if there were a vacation once in a while."

"Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again."

"Experience is always the hardest teacher, because you take the test before you learn your lesson."

On the important effect of experience, an English proverb says, "A burned child dreads the fire."

"Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you."

Whenever God prepares one of His people to do something special for Him, He always sends him/her to two schools.

The first school is that of His written Book, the Bible

The second school of God's preparatory instruction is the old "school of hard knocks," - our experiences

How much is learned in these two schools depends upon how much is observed and how much gets by unnoticed.

If you are a Christian, then you are enrolled in both...

You are probably aware of the first one. You know the importance of studying your Bible…

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV 1900

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 Timothy 4:13 ASV 1901

13 Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching.

But you may have missed the presence of the second school - you are being prepared for service to God through your experiences

When God called David out of the sheep pens of his father to become King of Israel, he didn't just thrust him into the job. He prepared him first.

David probably learned most about God's instruction from Samuel, the prophet, the man who anointed him to be king.

But the second part of David's preparation consisted of a number of years filled with experiences from which he learned by observation.

In order to prepare David for the throne of Israel, God first put him into the palace of King Saul.

There he learned about court life, but he also learned much about human nature and controlling his own spirit - and what happens to those who don't

In this message I want to look with you into some of those years David spent in Saul's court prior to his own installation as king.

If you are a Christian, God will be putting you into life circumstances to teach you and prepare you for service to Him.

My purpose in this sermon is to heighten your awareness and power of observation so that you will be better at spotting those lessons God is trying to teach you.

We'll do that by looking at some of the lessons God taught David.

DISCUSSION

MEN WILL OFTEN FORGET YOUR SACRIFICES AND SERVICE - YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU ARE SERVING MEN RATHER THAN GOD

David has just defeated the notorious Philistine giant, Goliath.

The Philistine army had been routed.

The men of Israel are still on the battle field.

Saul has watched the whole contest from a safe vantage point and now inquires as to some specific information about David.

1 Samuel 17:55–58 ASV 1901

55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. 56 And the king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling is. 57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.

David was very likely disappointed with Saul's question about who he was. Let me show you why.

You see, Saul should already have recognized David. David had served Saul several years ago as his personal musician and armor bearer.

1 Samuel 16:14–19 ASV 1901

14 Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. 16 Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. 17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. 18 Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Jehovah is with him. 19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.

So, David came to the palace

Now notice...

1 Samuel 16:21–23 ASV 1901

21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armorbearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favor in my sight. 23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

David had faithfully given his time to serve Saul in his court already.

He had traveled back and forth from his father's sheep to the palace of Saul.

But in the years that intervened between chapter 16 and chapter 18, Saul had forgotten him.

How would you feel if you do something special for someone - that is a sacrifice to you (a hardship) - and they don't even remember your name?

If you've ever sacrificed for people and then they have forgotten you (or, forgotten your efforts), you are a schoolmate with David.

You know how he felt.

Now, what are you doing with that lesson?

Are you bitter or are you better for it?

Do you brood about it or have you learned the lesson that though men forget, God never forgets and He will reward you.

Matthew 6:1–4 ASV 1901

1 Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.

You see, men like David step right over that potential pitfall because they're serving GOD first.

They know that treasure in heaven awaits them whether men remember or not.

For whom are you sacrificing for, God or people?

If it is people alone, you will at times be disappointed.

They will let you down. Many times you will not appreciated

Sadly, many are not happy unless they have the praise of men

Many love to toot their own horn

Many have to be the center of attention

Many are longing for pat on the back

Now don’t get me wrong - Encouragement is valuable and important from the brethren - but it is more important to work for God and not the praise of men

If you do what you do for God, you will remain happy whether people forget you or appreciate you.

In the school of hard knocks...

GOD WILL PROVIDE THE RESOURCES FOR YOU TO FACE THE ADVERSITY YOU FACE IN YOUR LIFE. ONE SUCH PROVISION IS FRIENDSHIP

Standing somewhere near that reintroduction between David and Saul that day was the King's son, Jonathan.

Unlike his father, Jonathan remembered David, who had evidently become his friend back in those days when David was playing his harp for Saul.

Jonathan watched David's bravery and victory against the giant that day, as well, and it rekindled in him an old friendship.

1 Samuel 18:1–4 ASV 1901

1 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

If you've ever had a true friend who would give you the shirt off his back, then you have a friend like Jonathan.

A friend as loyal as the day is long.

A friend dedicated to you - though thick and thin

A faithful friend.

Now, since we have the entire account of the life of David before us, we can observe something right here that it would take David many years to fully understand as a lesson from God.

You see, David was going to face some very hard times before he would graduate from God's school of hard knocks to the throne room of Israel.

Before this chapter is even over he would face Saul's bitter jealousy - and two enraged attempts on his life.

He would be cheated out of the wife Saul promised to the one who killed Goliath.

Finally, he would be chased out of the palace and hunted down like an animal by the army of Saul in a pursuit that would last years.

When you are facing heavy duty adversity like that, you need a friend!

You need someone to talk to!

Someone with whom you are safe.

Some who will just listen...

Sometimes all we need is a sounding board

A good friend knows how to do this

Someone who can help you regain your perspective.

Jonathan turned out to be for David all of those things only a true friend can be.

Sure, all of us can ultimately turn to God for support and help. But we need human friends, too, and God, in His providence, knowing that, often supplies them at the times we need them most.

Has God done that for you?

If so, think about your friend.

What would life be like without him or her?

The German poet Goethe wrote:

"The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers, and cities; but to know someone who thinks and feels with me, and who, though distant is close to me in spirit, this makes earth for me an inhabitable garden."

An anonymous writer said this: "Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief."

Walter Winchell said, "A friend is one who walks in when others walk out."

Notice what the Bible says about friendship

Proverbs 17:17 ASV 1901

17 A friend loveth at all times; And a brother is born for adversity.

... true friendship is unchangeable

Proverbs 18:24 ASV 1901

24 He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Proverbs 27:10 ASV 1901

10 Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; And go not to thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.

…old friend are to cherished

Proverbs 27:17 ASV 1901

17 Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

...true friends will make us better

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 ASV 1901

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

...friendship is profitable

All these things and more would describe this friend of David, Jonathan, whom God provided. (We'll look more specifically at their relationship in a later lesson).

You may think that God has left you on the hard plank of adversity without a cushion.

But consider: Has He granted to you a trusted friend?

If so, rejoice. God has provided!

CONCLUSION

How are your powers of observation?

Are you learning?

Did some of the lessons in David's experience get by you?

What lesson is God teaching you in your life right now?

Are you looking for it? Are you learning it?

Remember, that if you are a Christian, you are in two schools: The school of His Book and the school of your experience.

How about the lessons we've seen this lesson?

Are you stuck in bitterness because somebody overlooked you or forgot you or didn't pay you enough attention when you sacrificed?

You're in good company. The man after God's own heart was treated that way, as well, but it didn't get him down.

Don't let that disappointment turn you bitter. Realize that God notices even if man doesn't

Get better instead of bitter.

Did you think that God had forgotten you in the adversity you're facing right now? Think again.

If you have a close friend who cares, that is God's special provision for you in your trouble.

Thank Him for it!