Giving Up to Go Up
1 Sam. 16:1
May 20, 2007 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction
A Eye of the Tiger cliches
1 They are meant to inspire, encourage, & spur to victory.
a Winners never quit & quitters never win; only the strong survive; winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing; go for it; never, never, NEVER give up; etc.
b What if these don’t work?
aa Loser, quitter, weak, voted off the island, bad person?
bb (IL) Remember the rope in gym class (was there something up there that somebody left)? The pegs on the wall? Classmates were unmerciful in their ridicule (if at first you don’t succeed, quit!)
c Screamed "Go for it!" a hundred times, I’m not making it.
aa I was never asked if I could climb the rope at any job interview.
bb I made out O.K.
2 I respect/appreciate those of you with athletic ability, skill, tremendous strength.
B Today, I want to talk to the bench warmers, never get a hit, blow the big shot, water/bat boys, equipment managers, can’t climb the rope, get picked last or picked off first.
1 If you’ve ever tried your best, given your best shot, and fallen...I want to encourage you today.
a Job, marriage, relationship
b Health, spiritual
2 I want to give you hope!
3 Pray
4 Let me help you to understand that in God’s Kingdom you must give up to go up.
I Only the surrendered survive. Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons." 1 Sam 16:1 (NASB)
A Samuel (raised by Eli, son of Hannah & Elkaneh) was directed by God to go and anoint a new king.
1 He (Samuel) was given clear instructions (Bethlehem, Jesse’s house, take a heifer & go).
a He said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 1 Sam 16:5 (NASB)
aa Out comes Eliab (the oldest)-pick of the litter
bb But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Sam 16:7 (NASB)
cc Abinadab, Shammah...sons all together.
dd Samuel asked, "Are these all your children?" And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the children?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep." Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." 1 Sam 16:11 (NASB)
b Description of David (v.11-12)
aa Youngest (my best genes are with Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah)
bb Tending sheep (dirty job)
cc Send & bring him (didn’t even tell him about the meeting)
dd So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." 1 Sam 16:12 (NASB) Ruddy (short, squatty)...not a tremendous compliement
ee Beautiful eyes (good personality!)
ff Handsome appearance (Ruddy! God was speaking about David’s heart)-a man after God’s own heart.
2 He was not the biggest, brightest, best-surrendered!
a Because he came (listened to his father’s voice) there was a coronation in the living room.
b To those around him not the most qualified, gifted, talented, attractive, maybe couldn’t climb the rope-surrendered!
B Believer, don’t you believe the lie of the devil that "only the strong survive."
1 "You must be the biggest, brightest, richest, prettiest, thinnest, strongest, to have value, worth as a person."
a That is a lie from the pits of hell
b By definition, he’s setting us up for discouragement!
aa One biggest, one brightest, richest, prettiest, strongest
bb The kingdom of the world judges that way, but not God.
2 God’s Kingdom is an upside-down kingdom
a Least is the greatest.
aa Foolish to shame the wise, weak to shame the strong.
bb Last shall be first
cc Humble is exalted, prideful laid low
dd Leader becomes a servant to all
ee Our King was a homeless man with no reputation
ff Slaughtered lamb becomes Lion of Judah
b God’s not looking at us the way the world does (outward appearance vs. the appearance of your heart).
3 You will go through discouraging times (picked last, picked off first).
a I’m not encouraging you to try harder/be stronger-surrender more.
b For some of us it’s time to quit...
aa Beating yourself up, listening to Satan tear you down
bb Relying on your own strength, wisdom, power
cc Give up & give it to God.
C How do we give up?
1 Listen for the voice of God
a It’s hard to hear sometimes over the laughter, taunts, critical, condemning voice of the enemy, mean brother/sisters, or the self-depreciating/critical voice in us.
b The enemy/brothers & sisters/you are not your judge.
aa But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. 1 Cor 4:3-4 (NASB)
bb "The Lord is my judge."
c Maybe you can climb the rope, maybe He’s not called you to climb the rope, maybe not picked because He’s going to pick you for something else.
aa (IL) 1998-1999, deacon biting holes in my hide, no doors opening.
bb Listen less to the depreciating voice of the enemy & more to the loving voice of the Father.
2 Live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
a Believers receive the Holy Spirit. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 14:26 (NASB)
When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me...John 15:26 (NASB)
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3:5 (NASB)
b Get filled & keep being filled. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Gal 5:25 (NASB)
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit Eph 5:18 (NASB)
c When the Spirit is filling us He brings POWER For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Tim 1:7 (NASB)
3 Look for ways to give God the glory.
a And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. Acts 12:23 (NASB) Herod thought he was something.
b If you climb a rope, get picked, make the shot...give God the glory (if you do anything good it’s because of God).
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Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
