No Restraint To The Lord To Save By Many Or By Few

NO RESTRAINT TO THE LORD TO SAVE BY MANY OR BY FEW

1 Sam. 14:6

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: FUNNY CHURCH-BULLETIN MISTAKES

1. “Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa will be speaking tonight at First Church in Racine. Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.”

2. "Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don’t forget to bring your husbands."

3. “The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.”

4. “At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.”

B. TEXT

And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few” 1 Sam. 14:6

C. THESIS

1. The situation was desperate. The Philistines had invaded Israel. They came with 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and foot soldiers "as the sands on the seashore" (1 Sam. 13:5).

2. Saul was at Migron (which means "fear"). He wouldn't obey God, so his courage left him. His 3,000 soldiers became 600. His warriors turned into worriers. Discouragement is the biggest battle against the people of God.

3. But Saul had a son named Jonathan who was a man of faith. Jonathan was willing -- with only one servant and one sword -- to fight the entire well-armed Philistine army! He’s the epitome of the concept of dreams. He comes on the stage in epic fashion, as God's hero and larger-than-life! Jonathan decides it’s not time to SIT back, but time to TAKE back.

4. The title of this message is “No Restraint to the Lord to Save by Many or by Few.” He said 3 things:

I. LOOKING AT JONATHAN’S STATEMENT

A. THERE IS NO “RESTRAINT” ON GOD

1. Everyone has limitations. The greatest nations are limited in what they can do. Even the billionaires have limitations. Elon Musk made apparently Antisemitic remarks and had to make a trip to Israel to show he wasn’t. The owners of Facebook & Google are under fire for limiting the free speech of conservatives.

2. The word “restrain” (like Jonathan used) is a reference to regulating someone; it means to keep someone from exceeding your desired limits. It’s the imposing of controls. It’s like saying you can “tame” God, that you can place rules on Him. There’s NO WAY!

3. No one can control God, constrain Him, contain Him, or confine Him. No one’s going to detain Him, deter Him, delay Him, or derail Him. No one’s going to bar Him, bridle Him, baffle Him, or blockade Him. He won’t be stumped, stopped, stymied, suppressed, or stifled. He won’t be hindered, haltered, hampered, or held back. You can’t obstruct Him, impede Him, interfere with Him, encumber, frustrate, muzzle Him, limit Him, restrict, repress, or reduce His power! HE IS ALMIGHTY! He’s out of our league!

4. Secondly, Jonathan said God can SAVE!

B. NO RESTRAINT OF THE LORD “TO SAVE”

1. GOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR SAVIOR, from ancient times. Ps. 106:21, “They forgot God their Savior, which had done great things in Egypt...” God says there’s NO OTHER SAVIOR BUT HE; “I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Savior” Isa. 43:11; 49:26; 60:16; Hos. 13:4.

2. WHAT WILL GOD SAVE YOU FROM? (Ps. 91)

* “Snare of the Fowler,” vs. 3

* “Deadly Pestilence,” vs. 3

*“the Terror by night,” vs. 5

* “Arrow that flies by day,” vs. 5

* “Pestilence that stalks in the darkness,” vs.6

* “The plague that destroys at midday,” vs. 6

3. GOD IS "MIGHTY TO SAVE!" Isa. 63:1. WHY IS JESUS "MIGHTY TO SAVE?” BECAUSE OF...

a. THE EFFICACY OF HIS BLOOD. 1 Pet. 1:18, “Forasmuch as you know that you were NOT REDEEMED with corruptible things, as silver and gold... 19 BUT WITH the precious BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

b. THE POWER OF HIS SPIRIT. “The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” Rom. 8:2. “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Gal. 4:6. God will “quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you” Rom. 8:11. So not only does God’s Spirit free you from sin, make you a Child of God, but He also will raise your body from the dead!

c. THE ETERNALITY OF HIS PRIESTHOOD. Heb 7:25, “Wherefore He is able also to SAVE THEM TO THE UTTERMOST that come unto God by him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.” He’s constantly interceding for us; that’s why we can’t fail!