The Fight of your Life
Grant van Boeschoten
March 30, 2008
PAST WEEKS TOPICS
-Sanctify Yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
-Strong & Courageous - The Christian life is not an easy life, but it is the BEST Life.
-The Purpose in Easter, which is that through Jesus life and death you can gain your purpose in life.
TODAY’S TOPIC – The Fight of Your Life
God has a purpose for your life, even before you were conceived, God had a plan for your life. The prophet Jeremiah was young, and he thought that he did not have the authority or the words to be a prophet of God. But God said to Jeremiah,
"“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”" (Jeremiah 1:5, NLT)
Jeremiah was appointed to be God’s prophet, Moses was appointed to be God’s deliver, David was appointed to be King, Mary was appointed to be the Mother of God, Jesus was appointed to be our Saviour, Peter was appointed to be the “Rock” on whom Jesus would build the Church, Paul was appointed to be an apostle.
God’s has also created you with a purpose in life. There is a “Big Picture” theme for your life. Out of that theme will flow more specific tasks and responsibilities. But make no mistake about it, he created you with a plan and a purpose for your life.
This is the Fight of your Life. It began before you were conceived. It began when God dreamed about you before you even were, and God planned wonderful things for your life. And then it came time for him to create you, and he skillfully and wonderfully created you so that you would be perfect for his plan. He crafted your mind and he crafted your temperament and he crafted what would make you tick. And it was all on purpose for the purpose of God.
And then the Fight continues as you are born and enter a sinful world with a ruler whose intent is to steal and to kill and destroy. Make no mistake, Satan is the Prince of this World, and he hates God, and he hates God’s creation. And Satan wants to destroy you, and he wants to cut you down and make your life as utterly miserable as possible. And the best way that Satan has found is to keep you away from God, away from his love, away from his truths, and away from God’s purpose for your life.
From my own life experience, and from studying the lives of others, I have found that the people in life with the most inner peace, inner contentment and stability are those who know what God has created them for, and they rise to that purpose in their life.
The doctor Luke, when writing about the Acts of the Apostles talks about King David, "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died…” (Acts 13:36, NRSV)
This is a remarkable thing to have said about David’s life, to have served the purpose of God in his own generation. I wonder who here this morning could say that this is one of their goals for life, to serve the purpose of God in your Generation.
God didn’t just plan for David to be King. He planned for David to transform the nation of Israel. David was not created just because Israel needed a King, David was created by God to transform and shape a nation.
Here are some of the highlights from his life
• Transition from government by judges to an established monarchy.
• Transition from a loose confederation of tribes to a united nation.
• Transition from anarchy to a strong central government.
• Transition from bronze-age poverty to iron-age economy and wealth.
• Transition from a subject people to conquerors. David expanded Israel’s territory some ten times!
• Transition from decentralized worship to centralized worship, with one city as both political and religious capital.
The Fight for his life really started on the day that he gained the knowledge that his future was royalty.
David was the youngest of 8 brothers. His family thought of him as the runt. He was given the job of shepherding the sheep. One day in David’s youth, God showed him the purpose that he was created for. The prophet Samuel came to David’s small town called Bethlehem, which is about 6 miles from Jerusalem.
Samuel listened to the instructions of God, and when he met David God said, “Here is the future King. Anoint him!”
“Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life.” (1 Samuel 16 MSG)
1. WHEN YOU GET GOD’S PURPOSE – YOU GET GOD’S POWER
In front of his family David is anointed the future King, he has just learned what he was created for. He was created to rule, and he was created to be used by God to lead the nation of Israel.
That day was a day of Knowledge for David. The information that God gave him through the prophet shaped his life from then on. David could go through even the mundane tasks in life with his purpose in mind. he could begin to educate himself, and he could begin to gain the skills that he would need to be the King. From this point on David could begin to dream the big dreams, he could start to envision how to lead an army, he could dream about the nations economic advancements and he could pray and hear from God how to be a King.
David emerged onto the political landscape at the battle with the philistines and their champion, Goliath, a 9 foot tall giant. He really didn’t have any business being involved, he was underage and had only come to bring a care package of food to his brothers.
But David hears the giant taunting and mocking the armies of God and he is offended. He is offended at this giants disregard for God and he is troubled that not one Israelite soldier has the nerve to stand up to him, not even King Saul who stood a clear head and shoulders over every other man.
And so David takes on Goliath with his sling, on his very first try he sinks a rock deep into Goliaths skull, and God gives the Israeli army the victory.
And David finds favor with King Saul. He is promoted to a junior officer in the army and he is taken to the palace to live.
It is quite obvious to everyone that there is something special on David’s life. As they return from their battles the woman sing to him, Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands. This favor begins to stir up a certain amount of jealousy in King Saul, and as he watches David progress in life, his jealousy gives way to hatred and Saul begins to come up with schemes to kill David.
He sends David into battles where King Saul is certain that David will die. He thought that he could get rid of his competition without getting his hands dirty. But David didn’t die, he thrived, he came back with double the results that were expected and the people of Israel loved him all the more.
Even though David was created by God to be king, anointed by God to be King and even the people around him had the inkling that some day he would be King, David never forced the issue.
He never set up a dual between him and the King, he did not try to stir up a revolution against the king, he did not attempt an assassination attempt. David in fact did the opposite of what many would expect him to do. He honored the King as God’s servant, and David guarded the Kings life with his own, becoming the leader of the royal bodyguard.
2. GOD NEVER ASKS YOU TO DO EVIL TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE!
Well Saul jealousy, turned to hatred, and his hatred turned to action. He was done manipulating situations for David’s demise and now it was time to take actions into his own hand.
When David learned of Saul’s evil intent against him, he ran for his life. He runs with a small band of men to a town called Nob, to a priest named Ahimelech. Ahimelech gives David and his men food, and he gives them a sword and an ephod (ephod: a holy tool that God instructed Moses to make for the priests to determine the will of God.)
When King Saul learns that Ahimelech has helped David, he brings his army to Nob and questions the priest. “Why have you ganged up against me with the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword, even praying with him for God’s guidance, setting him up as an outlaw, out to get me?”
Ahimelech answered the King, “There’s not an official in your administration as true to you as David, your own son-in-law and captain of your body guard. None more honorable either.” (1 Samuel 22 MSG)
Saul in a rage of anger orders that priest and 70 others along with their families be put to death, and whole town is murdered because of King Saul’s jealousy and hate.
David escapes though and though he decides to take the blame for the death of these people, all that he can do is run for his life and to go into hiding.
King Saul is relentless in his pursuit of David though. He sets out on a nation wide manhunt, gathering information from whosoever will help him. By this time David has about 600 fighting men who have come to his side, many of whom were vagabonds and outlaws themselves. And King Saul pursues David and his men.
There are two different times in the pursuit when circumstance would seem to indicate that God had chosen to give David the victory of King Saul.
One of the instances happened when David and his men were hiding in a cave. King Saul, unaware that he was so close to his enemy, decided to unknowingly spend the night it the same cave that David and his men were in.
David’s friends said to him, “Can you believe it? This is the day that God was talking about when he said, ‘I will put your enemy in your hands’ You can do whatever you want with him.”
David snuck up to King Saul, but he couldn’t kill him. Instead he cut off a corner of the King’s royal robe. And the moment that David cut off the robe he felt guilty. He said, “God forbid that I should have done this to my master, God’s anointed, that I should so much as raise a finger against him. He’s God’s anointed!”
And not only did David restrain himself from harming the King, he also restrained his men. David had a standard of excellence about him. He understood that God does not ask us to do evil to accomplish his purpose. And David proved to us that day in the cave that…
3. CIRCUMSTANCIAL EVIDENCE IS NOT ENOUGH TO DETERMINE THE WILL OF GOD.
David relied on the precepts of God, more than on his senses and feelings. He could have killed the King and brought the prophecies on his life to fulfillment, but that would have been sin. And so David honored the King because God asks us to honor authority.
The next morning when the King and his army had left the cave and were some ways away David shouted out to him “My Master, My King,” and David fell down and bowed in respect to his king.
King Saul turned around to see his enemy paying him respect and David called out to him, “How can you believe the people who say that I am out to kill you. My men wanted to kill you, but I wouldn’t let them. I’m no rebel.”
And King Saul calls back to David, “You are in the right and I am in the wrong. You’ve heaped good on me and I have dumped evil on you. God Bless you David. I know now beyond a doubt that you will rule as king.”
And Saul goes back home and David and his men go back to hiding.
King Saul although he had realized that he was wrong, was not ready to hand HIS kingdom over. He again turned against David and instead of having one of the great military minds and commanders (DAVID) in his army, fighting against his enemies; Saul devoted all of his resources to finding and killing David.
This goes on for sometime, and the Philistine army launch an attack against the army of Israel. King Saul cries out to God for help, but God does not answer his prayer, and the King stood there, looking out at the Philistine army, and he was shaking in his boots.
During the battle Saul and 3 of his sons including David’s best friend Jonathon, are all struck down dead. The Philistines rout the Israelite army and occupy many of the Israelite cities.
And David’s time has come. 2 of the 12 tribes of Israel immediately recognize him as their King, and a 7 year civil war breaks out in Israel over who should be king.
But at the end of it all David realizes and fulfills God’s purpose in his life. He is anointed King of Israel, he chooses Jerusalem as the Royal City, and he begins the work of leading, shaping and transforming a nation under God.
It was the fight of his life, from finding out who God had made him to be to fulfilling the high calling that was on his life.
And each person on planet earth must fight that battle as well. It is the Fight of your Life, it is the fight for your purpose, it is the fight from Knowledge to Fulfillment.
1. When You Get God’s Purpose, You Get God’s Power
(STARTING PLACE)
"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah." (1 Samuel 16:13, NRSV)
Many people are in the dark when it comes to what there purpose is, I’m asking God to turn the light on for you this morning.
Here are some truths about your purpose, that might help to bring some light to your confusion.
A) Your purpose has ALWAYS been on your life.
B) You are created specially for this, this affects the way you think, different gifting and abilities, it affects what Satisfies you
C) You may be operating on the Shadow side of your purpose (bible example Saul – Paul, present day example Scott Stapp of Creed.)
D) The people closest to you probably have a good idea of what your purpose is (story of Ethan, the prayer, the dedication)
E) Start Big & Simple
If its music, then get involved with music
If its working with people, then volunteer to work with people
It its kids, then volunteer to work with kids
If it is serving others, and lifting others up then find a place to help out, make the coffee, wash the dishes and come to life.
If its building God’s kingdom through finances, learn integrity and wisdom with finances and grow your business based on God’s principles.
START SIMPLE – START IN THE CHURCH
2. Purpose unfolds as you are PLANTED in the house of God
King David was an awesome composer of songs, he writes
"The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him." (Psalm 92:12-15, NRSV)
If I could paraphrase for David he is saying that it takes time to really start to produce in life. It takes seasons, and it takes fertilization, and it takes stability and it takes love and it doesn’t happen overnight.
Therefore it becomes very important to plant yourself in life. And the place where you put down your roots is the place that God has created to fulfill his purposes on earth, that place is called Church.
You might say, I love music, it touches my heart, it touches my soul and I have certain abilities towards it. It is very possible that music is a part of your purpose. And so in the context of your church you find a way to get involved with music.
And you begin to get the training, and you begin to get the experience, and it might just be that it is only the beginning, yet foundational part of who you are. Because being involved will open your eyes up to new possibilities, it will get your creativity flowing, it will give you ownership and it will move you towards what God has for you.
You can tell the health of a plant more so by its roots then by its appearance. And that is why we must choose a place to be planted, and then remain.
It is the trees that can survive the storms that make a mark, that provide stability, that can be relied on for shelter and that can be trusted to serve their purpose.
It is the Christian who can plant themselves and then thrive through the good times and the bad times, through offense, through misunderstandings, through friendship, through encouragement and through the different seasons of life, it is those Christians who make a significant mark on eternity.
3. Circumstances are not a reliable way to describe the will of God.
Every one in a while I come across somebody who thought that they knew the will of God for their life, but then circumstances changed and so did there perspective. “I must have heard God wrong”. “Maybe God is shutting this door to open another.” “If the circumstances don’t confirm it then it must not be right.”
I need to say that these are not statements that line up with scripture.
Let’s look at David’s life. The circumstances were not lining up for the purpose that God created him for.
David went through years of setbacks and defeats in an epic battle for his purpose. Can you imagine the emotional chaos that he would have gone through if he relied on his circumstances to describe his purpose.
One moment he would be a giant killer. But then on a different day he would be a refuge, an outcast. David always could remain grounded because he knew that GOD HAD SAID that he was to be King.
Here is another example, the Israelites going to the Promised Land faced giants, uphill battles and fortified cities. If they looked at their circumstances they would have concluded that they were not in the will of God. In fact, many of them did and decided to go back to Egypt, and the missed out on God’s will for there life.
What about the early church. For the first 400 years of its existence it was seen as being against the Roman government. Church leaders were beheaded, imprisoned, fed to the lions and sawn in two. If these people had relied on circumstances they would have concluded that maybe they had heard God wrong.
This is why God has given us help in life.
• Word of God
• Holy Spirit
• Church
When you know what your purpose is, hang on to it. This is who you are, this is what you are made for, so don’t let anyone take it from you, don’t let anyone damper your dreams, instead…
4. CLAW, SCRATCH, SURVIVE, THRIVE, FIGHT FOR YOUR PURPOSE
It is the Fight of your Life
But we are more than Conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Greater is he that is in us, then the Devil that is in the world.
The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but JESUS came so that we could have the ABUNDANT LIFE, the life of purpose.
If you are not saved, then you need to ask God for salvation today. Repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
