"David - The Price Of Success" Part 2 Of 12 Series

Pastor Dave Martin, Cross Creek Community Church, May 25, 2003

“David – The Price of Success”

Part 2 1Sam 16

(Be reading & studying 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, 1Kings 1-2)

Review from last week:

· Prerequisite for God’s blessing is being a person after God’s own heart!

· Proof of having a Godly Heart is Wholehearted Joyous Obedience!

Text: 1Samuel 16

“Success” – The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted. Having a favorable outcome.

Formula for Success: God (Preparation + Opportunity) = Success

· In math you always solve within the brackets first then work out (Preparation + Opportunity).

· You then take preparation and opportunity and multiply it with God who produces success.

· We may have years of preparation yet without the Lord we’re nothing. (1Co. 13:1-3)

Success is “Doing God’s will, accomplished God’s way, for God’s glory!”

GOD:

God’s Part in Success…

· God OBSERVES 16:7

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

· God is looking 2 Chron. 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him… Ezekiel 22:30 "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.

· God CHOOSES 16:12

1 Samuel 16:12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."

· God calls us to be holy and blameless in His sight. Ephes. 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

· God ANOINTS 16:13a

1 Samuel 16:13a “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers…”

· The Holy Spirit anoints and empowers us today. God only uses an “empty of self” vessel.

· God EMPOWERS 16:13b

1 Samuel 16:13b “…and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.”

· Holy Spirit convicts, seals, protects, gives spiritual gifts, abilities, calling, equips, prays, intercedes, leads..

God uses Time, Trials, and Truth to grow us! (Joseph’s life -13 years from pit to slave to prison to palace)

PREPARATION:

God’s Training Ground for Success…

· Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation. - Zig Ziglar

· The price of mastery in any field is through preparation – God’s training grounds.

1. SOLITUDE

· David shepherd sheep in lonely places. Gently leading and caring for them. Quiet and all alone.

· “Sound of silence” – Getting all alone with God, away from everyday hustle & bustle distractions.

· God does not speak to us in earthquakes, wind or fire but in a quiet whisper. 1Kings 19:12

· Your private life all alone with the Lord is where the action of preparation takes place.

2. OBSCURITY

· Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. - Gen. George Patton

· David labored unseen, unknown and unappreciated. A nobody that God saw!

· David was faithful in serving out-of-sight in the backfields of Bethlehem.

· Some in this church are faithfully laboring in obscurity, unseen deeds you do, are being noticed by the Lord. Stay obedient, stay faithful you’re being prepared for the future. (1Co. 15:58)

3. MONOTONY

· This is remaining faithful in the insignificant, mundane, routine, unexciting, dull, boring things / life.

· David faithfully attended his sheep. He assumed the responsibility and did it well.

· The secret of success if to do the common things uncommonly well. - John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

· It’s in the little things and the lonely places where we prove ourselves for bigger things.

· In God’s program there is no “fast track” pill we can take – it’s being faithful in the “little” things.

4. REALITY

1 Samuel 17:34-35 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

· David remained committed and responsible when nobody was looking.

· Long before he faced off with Goliath he faced reality of lions and bears attacking his sheep.

· Everyone of us go through life’s university of time and reality in preparation for future assignment