“What Are You Good For?”
Part 2 – Pursuing the Whisper
So in the way of review, I told you last week that in order for us to find our individual destiny we must first find our corporate destiny. Therefore, I referred you to David’s ragtag, unqualified, overlooked men. These men would be considered misfits. The Word tells us they were distressed, in debt, discontent. They weren’t on any who’s who list, they were up for no awards, and they had no problem with paparazzi wanting to chronicle their life. They were nobodies. I also told you that their description fits most of us. We, too, are misfits. We too are distressed, in debt, and discontent or bitter. However, if David could turn these men into mighty warriors we could do the same. You will remember the steps to doing that right? We have to rally around a common cause. Which for us is Encounter, Equip, Engage. We have to rally around one another. Fight for rather than against one another. Look at your neighbor and say “I still got your back”. Nothing has changed. I am still praying for you. Believing in you. I also said we have to be willing to fight. No room or place for wimps. This is going to be hard work that takes a while. And finally, I mentioned that we have to be willing to trust leaders. Even if we have been hurt, even if we have experienced bitterness, and even though no leader is perfect we must come to the place where we trust. To have authority we must be under authority! It is only those that have authority that are under no authority that you should fear!
So now that we have that foundation in place I want to talk to you the next few weeks on how to find out what your are good for. We are going to examine the life of one of David’s mighty men. His story is somewhat obscure. I challenge you to make plans to be here for the next three weeks or you will miss out on what I believe is one of the most powerful and interesting stories in the entire Bible. You will want to make sure you are here to find out how this turns out. I am purposely going to leave you hanging and you will have no clue unless you are here on the final week.
This is a story and I am going to do my best to tell it that way and then make application at the end of each section.
Let me say this before we get into the story. A recent survey revealed that 74% of us are still trying to figure out the purpose or meaning of their life.
One of the most disturbing findings of this survey was that since most people couldn’t figure out their real purpose in life, 53% contended that they decided that the main purpose of life is enjoyment and personal fulfillment.
That means that 3 out almost 4 of you are wondering what am I good for? And that over half of you are only living for a few laughs, a few self-centered accomplishments with no thought about anything beyond yourself or the legacy that you will leave behind.
I want to declare two things to your right now:
1. You can know your purpose in life! God isn’t playing some game of cosmic hide and seek with you. He isn’t sitting in heaven laughing as He watches you falter and wander aimlessly through life. He wants you to know why you are here!
2. You were created for more than fun and a few laughs. There is something for you to do and accomplish that cannot be accomplished by anyone but you. You have a lasting contribution to make and you will find more personal fulfillment and enjoyment when you discover and do that thing than any other way. Anything less than finding your purpose is a waste of time and meaningless.
TEXT: 1 Chronicles 2:13-16; 1 Samuel 26:6-8; I Samuel 24:2-4; II Samuel 15:13-14; 16:5-9; 19:16, 19-21 (will read this and then read some of the story in my words.)
I Chronicles 2:13-16
“And Jesse begat his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimma the third, Nethaneel the fourth, Raddai the fifth, Ozem the sixth, David the seventh: Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.”
I Samuel 26:6-8
“Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people lay round about him. Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thy hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.”
I Samuel 24:2-4
“Saul led three thousand of Israel’s best soldiers out to look for David and his men near Wild Goat Rocks at En-Gedi. There were some sheep pens along the side of the road, and one of them was built around the entrance to a cave. Saul went into the cave to relieve himself. David and his men were hiding at the back of the cave. They whispered to David, ‘The Lord told you he was going to let you defeat your enemies and do whatever you want with them. This must be the day the Lord was talking about.’ David sneaked over and cut off a small piece of Saul’s robe, but Saul didn’t notice a thing.”
II Samuel 15:13-14
“And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.”
II Samuel 16:5-9
“And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and cursed still as he came. And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow: Jehovah hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and Jehovah hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son; and, behold, thou art taken in thine own mischief, because thou art a man of blood. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.”
II Samuel 19:16,19-21
“And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. And he said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come this day the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Jehovah’s anointed?”
THE STORY: (read it to you)
A confident gleam brightens his eyes. His chest is thrust out a little further than usual. His back is straight and his head is held high. He walks with the prance and pride of a barn-yard rooster strutting across his domain.
In the middle of an unfinished sentence, the man feels an urgent tug on his cloak. He turns and looks into the excited eyes of his servant. Without waiting for a single word, he drops the bubble gum cigars he has been distributing so freely and begins the mad dash home. The old men in the square chuckle as they recall their own experiences of pride and the rush of excitement that comes with the news of labor. They look. They remember. They understand.
He bursts through the door of his home to hear cries of pain and a sudden wail of agony as his wife gives birth to their firstborn. He can’t stand still. He can’t relax. He can’t stop the questions. Will it be a boy or a girl? Will the child have all ten fingers and all ten toes? Will he or she be healthy? Will his offspring have his eyes and his mothers light brown hair? Will the child grow up to be a doctor, sport’s star, lawyer, or teacher?
As his mind rushes forward through the next 18 to 20 years, the adult cries cease and infant cries begin. A baby has been born. The curtain that shielded the view of his laboring wife is shoved back, and he is invited to enter.
Slowly, cautiously, he makes his way toward the bed as if he were walking on egg shells. Every muscle tense. Every sense on full alert. He can hear his own heartbeat. Time seems to have come to a complete stop. It is the moment. As he draws near, he sees a dichotomy: a woman who still bears the residue of pain, the sweat has darkened her long hair, tears streaking her cheeks, and a flushed, exhausted face. This image stands in stark contrast to a smile that spreads from ear to ear. The tears that once denoted pain now reflect sheer joy. In her arms, and the single focus of her pride-filled eyes, lays a tiny bundle of flesh.
Their hopes have been fulfilled. Their dreams are now a reality. The woman finally breaks the long stare at the child and shifts her gaze to the man. She extends the baby to him as if presenting him with the most valuable treasure in the world. Carefully, he takes the child in his arms. With a single glance, he instantly sees himself and his wife reflected in this tiny ball of humanity. His dimples. Her lips. His jawline. Her wavy, brown hair. They are both there in that one wee person.
He opens his mouth to speak and only manages to say, “Is it a ¯?” His wife, Zeruiah, interrupts, and with a smile in her voice, she answers the unfinished question, “That is your SON!” The man is overtaken by joy and the sudden realization of responsibility. He is more alive at that moment than he has ever been in his life. His son. His heir. His flesh. His treasure.
Then Zeruiah breaks the moment of euphoria by asking THE question. “What are we going to name him?” The father looks intensely at the little boy again. With a knowing look in his eyes, he passionately and prophetically whispers as if the whole world is waiting to hear, “His name is Abishai.”
With the whisper of that name, the little boy’s world is instantly framed. Words create boundaries and limits, but with the christening of this infant as Abishai, those limits and boundaries are ripped off and give way to a life of questioning, searching, and an unending pursuit of destiny.
Every day ended the same. The father would take his small son into the nursery and lower him tenderly into his crib. Before he would leave the room he would lean over the rail of the crib and whisper, “You are Abishai.”
This nightly ritual continued throughout the child’s infancy, into his toddler years, and on into his teenage life. Even though he had been called by his name countless times throughout the day, every night as he closed his eyes to drift into sleep, he would hear the familiar footsteps come to a stop by his bed, and the familiar whisper would fill his ears and burn into his spirit. “You are Abishai.”
Abishai didn’t have a memory problem. He had no doubts about his name. So why did his father continue to speak over him every evening? Why was this ritual necessary? The answer is found in the meaning of his name. Abishai means, “The father of a gift.”
It was a loaded name to hang on a young boy. The name constantly pushed the boy toward greatness and substance. The name “Abishai” launched him on an all consuming journey to try to answer the obvious question, “What is my gift?”
Abishai’s teenage years are unrecorded; however, they must have been filled with numerous attempts to discover his gift. This is no huge leap of imagination, based on what is recorded about Abishai’s young adult life, he, obviously, was obsessed with trying to live up to his name.
The first glimpse into this obsession comes into view as Abishai joins David. David has been struggling to survive his father-in-law’s continued attempts on his life. He has been narrowly escaping Saul, when, suddenly, the table is turned and the hunted becomes the hunter.
Saul and his men have had a long day of searching villages, caves, crooks, and crannies only to come up empty on their never-ending manhunt. It is time to rest. Saul and his men “circle the wagons” and stretch out for some much-needed sleep, oblivious to the impending danger. David and his men are close; much closer than Saul’s men realize.
David decides to sneak into Saul’s camp. He asks who will go with him. Abishai doesn’t hesitate. Unflinchingly he steps up and volunteers for the dangerous mission.
Saul’s sentries are caught off guard. Exhaustion has overwhelmed their usual awareness, and sleep has overtaken them. David and Abishai quietly slip past them. Accustom to the sounds and feel of the wilderness night, they stealthily push deeper and deeper into the king’s camp. The royal guard can be seen from here. They must be close.
A careful check of the king’s personal bodyguard’s face reveals no detection or no thinly veiled plot to trick the intruders. Sleep has tamed the anger and the adrenaline of the chase. Silently, inch by inch, they creep closer until finally they are next to the jealous, madman king.
At this moment, Abishai hears his father’s whisper deep in his spirit: “You are Abishai — the father of a gift.” Abishai hears, and his pulse quickens. This is it. This is what I have been waiting for. This is what I have been dreaming about. This is what I was born to accomplish. This is my destiny.
Abishai turns to his companion and asks for permission to fulfill his name. “God has given Saul to you today,” he tells David. “If you will allow me to, I will kill Saul, make you king, and give my gift.” Interestingly, David refuses, the gift remains ungiven, and the journey toward destiny continues.
This may not have been the first time Abishai had tried to give his gift. Only a few days earlier David and his men had been hiding from Saul in a cave. Unexpectedly, Saul turns their hiding place into a restroom stop. As Saul is in a vulnerable position, David’s men assure him that God has given the king into his hands. “We will kill Saul and make you king,” they say.
Sounds familiar doesn’t it? There is no way to prove it, but this may have been the same young man trying to give his gift. Once again Saul walks away unscathed, and David exits uncrowned.
After months of playing cat and mouse, Saul’s attention is diverted to another threat. The Philistines have come once again to pick a fight with Israel. Saul rallies his armies and goes into battle. However, this time the Philistines get the upper hand. Saul finds himself surrounded by Philistine archers. Their aim is true, and their arrows fly straight. Saul is critically wounded. Fearful of torture and public display by the Philistines, Saul takes his own sword and falls on it ending his demented reign as king. Jonathan, Saul’s son and heir to the throne is also slain in the battle. The Philistines have done what Abishai was not allowed to do; they have effectively elected David as king.
After years of sitting on the throne as a king, David’s own son, Absalom, betrays him. Absalom, consumed by jealousy and rebellion, sets into motion a plan to overthrow his father and take away his throne. David loved Absalom so much he refused to take up arms against his own son. Rather than fight, David retreats. David and his men choose to vacate the palace. David begins a barefooted walk away from Jerusalem. Head bowed. Heart broken. Family splintered.
Along the way out of Jerusalem, one of Saul’s relatives, Shimei, meets David on the road and recognizes an opportunity for revenge. Shimei picks up stones and hurls them with the same accuracy with which he threw verbal taunts and accusations against David. With each step, David feels the sting of well-placed rocks, curses, and harsh words.
David’s vulnerability causes the whisper to swell to an ear-splitting crescendo. “You are the father of a gift.” Abishai instantly responds: “David, why should this dog, this scum of the earth, be allowed to curse the one true King of Israel? Allow me to remove his head.” David barely looks up. There was no need to. He has heard this offer before. He recognizes that voice. And, once again, David holds the gift in check.
The rebellion has come to a head. There is no ignoring it. It has to be addressed. Absalom rallies his troops and sends them out to face off against David’s men. It isn’t even a contest. David’s men destroy the rebellion, and Absalom becomes an instant refugee. Absalom finds himself in a hairy situation. Hanging from a tree, caught by his long locks, unable to defend himself, he is killed by Abishai’s brother, Joab. The rebellion is over. David again owns a throne, but he has lost a son. David leaves the city he has occupied during his exile and makes the grief-filled journey back toward Jerusalem.
Same road. Same scenery. Same Shimei. Different spirit! The first time Shimei cursed; this Shimei begs. The first Shimei threw stones; this one throws himself at the feet and at the mercy of David.
It wasn’t just anger that rose up in Abishai. A whisper rose up within him like a shout. Again Abishai tries to fulfill his name. “Why shouldn’t he die, David? He is guilty. He is a hypocrite. He deserves the sword. He deserves the same treatment he gave you. Let me strike him.”
THE APPLICATION:
I will end the story right there. To find out how things turn out you have to come back the next two weeks. However, out of this account there are two lessons that I want us to deal with and learn today.
1. Hear the whisper again
The first lesson comes in the form of a question. “Can you hear the whisper?” You must learn to hear the whisper again! The truth is that your name is Abishai too!
Oh, I know that your parents didn’t actually name you Abishai. They named you Jon, Margaret, Jennifer, Denis. But the very first step in finding out what you are good for is to recognize that your Father has named you Abishai for you too are the father of a gift. You too have been set apart and destined for greatness by God. You too have an assignment and purpose on earth. You aren’t here just to live and then die. You aren’t here to just secure 3 kids, a white house with a white picket fence, a 3 car garage and to leave a nice inheritance for your children. You are the father of a gift.
Like Jeremiah, He knew you before you were ever formed. He had plans to prosper you before you were ever a gleam in your parent’s eyes. Just like David, you were fearfully and wonderfully made. Regardless of what anyone else has said. Regardless of what anyone else has proclaimed or decided about you, He has decided that you are the father of a gift!
My job is to awaken the whisper in you again. My job is to stand up here weekly and to operate in faith to call things that are not as though they were. My assignment this morning is to dip down into your spirit and bring to life the destiny that is in you. I have to get you to believe once again that there is a gift inside of you that is unlike anyone else’s gift.
The difficulty is that for some of you the whisper has been buried and quieted by time, hardships, and brokenness. Life has changed your plans. Life has thrown you a curve and you think your destiny has been forfeited and is lost forever. Some of you are thinking right now if I was still sixteen, didn’t have a mortgage, didn’t kids, didn’t have a past littered by mistakes then I could believe this and I could go for my destiny.
But I want to tell you today that your Father is still whispering over you. You are still the father of a gift.
According to Habakkuk, He is still able to restore you in the midst of the years. Right in the middle of life. He can turn back the clock. Right in the middle of good choices and bad choices He can bring your dreams alive again. He can revive your destiny.
According to Joel 2:25 which says, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you.” He can restore everything! He lists the locust from worst to the least severe. He is saying to us that he will restore the little things, big things, small things. Those big dreams and those little dreams.
Hear the whisper again. You may feel like hope is gone. You will never be able to fulfill your purpose now. Listen carefully, hear the small whisper. Listen to His voice again. He is calling you. He believes in you. He isn’t finished with you. He still has a plan. He still has a call. He still has a place for you. He still wants you to use your gift – the call is without repentance. If you will simply hear Him again He can still use you!
Lesson 2: We must constantly try to discover our gift.
Notice from very early on that Abishai is trying everything he can to discover what his gift was. He tried in the cave, he tried in Saul’s camp, and he tried on the road with Shimei – twice. He was constantly questioning, “Is this it?” He didn’t just wait and hope to stumble into it.
Too many of us won’t try anything. We just sit around on our gift waiting for someone to ask us to help, volunteer, or get involved. So we just go with the flow. We just hide out and try to blend in.
I am challenging you to step up and out. We must become driven by the whisper. Quit sitting on your gift. Even if you aren’t sure what your gift is experiment until you find your place.
Don’t wait for someone to ask you to give your gift. The # 1 reason people don’t volunteer or serve is because no one asked them. No one asked Abishai to give his gift he just kept trying to give it. We will deal with this issue more next week. But for now, let me tell you that if you wait for someone to ask you may never get to give your gift. Develop an attitude that I have something to offer. Now I just have to find the right place for my gift to make an impact!
I am still amazed at the number of people that go through life saying “I don’t know what my gift is” and you ask them what they have tried and they say “nothing”.
Try something. This is a safe place. You may try some things and fail miserably. You may want to try out for the worship team and we may have to tell you that isn’t your gift. I would rather you try and discover what your gift is not than to never try anything at all. If you want to find out what you are good for then you must be willing to risk failure. Too many of us have listened to and believed Homer Simpson who said, “You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is never try.”
Don’t let your gift die! Don’t let the song die in you. Don’t let the dance die in you. Don’t let the junior high ministry die in you. Don’t let the gift of greeting die in you. Don’t let the gift of evangelism die in you! Try something until you discover what your gift is!
