The city has been burned down to it’s very foundation. Once proud, solid structures had been reduced to fragile rubble. If you look around you can still see embers slowly burn what is left in the camp. If you lift your nose ever so slightly you can still smell the stench of smoke blowing in the air. An area once lively with activity and sounds, has now become ghostly silent and still. No sound of life. The joyful sound of family and friends overtaken by the whistling of the wind through a desolate crime scene. If only the men had been there. Oh, I’m sorry. I believe there is a misunderstanding. I’m not talking about what happened in my text. I’m talking about what is slowly happening to the church. We are allowing animosity to burn the church down to it’s very foundation. We are allowing embers of sin to slowly burn the very fabric of this church. Our once solid structure of faith is being reduced to rubble. If you lift up your nose you can smell the stench of sin in the air. Instead of defeating sinful behavior we defend it. Instead of saying “Oh No” to sinful behavior we are saying its “O.K.” The church once lively with activity and spirit-filled sounds has become ghostly silent. The joyful sounds of family and friends fellowship in unity has been replaced by the sounds of gossip and backbiting and feuds. If only the men had been there.
Now, I know when we look around in the church today we see a good number of men in the building. Physically in the church. But are we really there? Being there involves more than being present. For a man to really be there, he has to be doing something for the edification or building up of the church. If you come to church just for the sake of coming, you are not really there. If you come to church just to get in a good nap, you are not really there. If you come to church just to sit quietly on the pew, you are not really there.
It is not simply about attendance, it is about living up to your spiritual responsibility. When men take on their role in the church, some of the problems that are going on in the church today would disappear. When men step up and say “No, we will not allow this to happen in our church,” there will be a change in the church. When men lead in the praising God, the church will praise God. The men support the pastor, the church will support the pastor. If the men are strong, the church will be strong.
Are we really there? The reason why that question is so important is because Satan is trying everything in his power to bring down the church. He is attacking our women. He is attacking our children. He is trying to take everything of value away from this church. But this is my warning to Satan. WAIT UNTIL THE MEN COME BACK.
David had been spending most of his time fleeing from the wrath of Saul. So much so that he has been living in the land of his enemy the Philistines. He had become so peaceable with one of the princes, that he gave David a city of his very on in Philistine. They called it Ziklag. Imagine that. David had a city or an oasis if you will in enemy territory. Ziklag is representative of the church. In this world of hatred and malcontent we have our own oasis here in our own church. Our Godly city in the midst of an ungodly world.
David, preoccupied with the ongoing war between Saul and Israel against the Philistines, David had taken his all his men away from the city in preparation to fight. And after receiving the good news that they did not have to fight they proceeded to take a three day journey back home.
Can you image being gone for so long and finally being able to return home? I bet they were thinking, “Man I can’t wait to get back for some good home cooking.” “I can’t wait to see my wife and kids.” “You know David always throw a great feast anytime we get back.” For three days they look forward to being home. And as they get closer to the city, they notice none of the women came dancing out to greet them as they usually did. None of David’s sons and daughter came running to him to see if he brought anything back. There was nothing. And someone notices smoke ascending from over the ridge. Though tired, I can image them running to see what had happened. And as the first man gets to the city, I can imagine him falling on his knees, with his heart in his throat. The city is no more. The women are no more. The children are no more. There is no moo from a cow or baa from a sheep. Just smoke and destruction.
Men imagine, if you will, us coming to church and it is just us. One Sunday morning you arrive for service and women are not to be found. And you go into the fellowship hall and the children are gone. It is a lonely feeling when you are use to them always being there even when you are not. If we do not get more spiritually involved in our church, that is exactly what is going to happen. We are going to look around and the women that were always there are no longer there. And there will be no need for children’s time because the children won’t be there either. You don’t believe me. Look around I bet you can think of the face and name of a child that grew up in this church, or has attended this church that you no longer see. Or a sister that us to come faithfully but now you hardly see. It is slowly happening. One by one, Satan is trying to take away those things we hold so dear.
Let’s look at verse 4, “Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.” Men are not known to be emotional creatures. But when you take everything away from a man, who thought he was doing what was right, you will see a strong man weep. David and his men thought they were doing right by their families. Defending them from the enemies that they know. Going out and putting bread on the table. Putting a roof over their head. They were doing all the things a Good man was suppose to do. And still the enemy crept in and took the very things they loved.
But even when it looks like the world is caving in on him, a Godly man can not depend on someone else to up lift him. Men have to have a strong enough relationship with God, that even in hard times they can persevere. Look at verse 6
David was able to encourage himself in the Lord.
After encourage himself David began to take three steps to get his city back to the way things use to be. And we men can take these same three steps to get this church back to way things use to be. The first thing David did was to go to God. Let’s read verse 7 and the first part of verse 8.
The ephod was the vest that the high priest wore and was used sometimes as a way to communicate with God. David knew that if there was any chance of things going back to the way they were they were going to need God’s guidance. Men the only way to tackle the problems in the church is to first go to God. It is not enough that we only worry about the upkeep of the physical church. We must concern ourselves with the upkeep of the spiritual church.
The next thing David did was in the second part of verse 8 and verse 9. David pursued. With assurance from God that he would recover all, David pursued after what was rightfully his. Men, it is not enough just to pray for change. But we must actively pursue it. Don’t wait to be asked, get involved in the spiritual progression of this church. Strive to go after what the enemy is trying to take from us. Pursue.
The last thing David did was to recover all that was lost. God promised David that if he would pursue, that without fail he will recover all. And David did just that. Let’s look at verses 18 and 19
Men, God promises us that if we pursue after our church, if we pursue after our families, we will recover all.
But the best thing about the entire account is verse 20
David not only recovered what was taken from him but he began to claim more things that the enemy had. David saw other cattle and said, “This is David’s spoil.” Men, we need to start claiming thing as ours. Stop allowing the enemy access into your church and disrupting things. Stop allowing known sin to creep into the church and rot the very core. We need to stand up and say to the enemy. This is my church.
Stop allowing your family to torn apart at the seams. Don’t allow the enemy to set up camp at your home. We need to stand up and say to the enemy. This is my house.
Stop allowing the children of this church to slowly seep away. Don’t allow the pressure of this world to lead our children away from God. We need to stand up and say to the enemy. This is my child.
We need to start claiming everything in the name of the Lord
This is my job.
This is my car.
This is my friend.
This is my life.
This is my love.
This is my joy.
This is my peace.
This is mine. This is mine. This is mine.
Knowing their men the way they did, even though the bible doesn’t say it; I believe David’s wife and all the other wives were sitting in the enemy camp saying to themselves. You guys don’t know how much trouble you are in. This is the same David that kill a lion and a bear that was going to harm his sheep. This is the same David that kill 9 feet tall Goliath with a sling shot and a rock. And when he come back he is going to defeat you. Just wait until the men come back.
New Rock Hill, I promise you today that prosperity is just around the corner. Tell the enemy. Just wait until the men come back.
I promise you that the way we use to worship is just over the hill. So tell the enemy. Just wait until the men come back.
I promise you that spiritual growth is just a stone’s throw away. Tell the enemy. Just wait until the men come bac
k.
Church, we are about to be bigger and better that ever. Just wait until the men come back.
