Dealing With Spear Throwers
PPT 1 Message Title
In John 14:2 Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you."
That verse primarily concerns heaven, but I want to take the thought of a prepared place and alter it slightly to say that not only does God prepare a place for us, but He also prepares us for that place.
In other words God has to prepare things in the world, and things inside of us to fulfill His plans.
He has to get His ducks in a row outside of us, and inside of us.
What does that have to do with spear throwers? Everything as you will see.
Lets read a story from the life of David, just after the killing of Goliath.
PPT 2-4 Text
1Sa 18:6 And it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments.
1Sa 18:7 And the women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."
1Sa 18:8 Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"
1Sa 18:9 And Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on.
1Sa 18:10 Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing [the harp] with his hand, as usual; and a spear [was] in Saul's hand.
1Sa 18:11 And Saul hurled the spear for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David escaped from his presence twice.
Everyone has been a spear thrower at one time or another in their life.
Maybe not actual spears, but word spears.
We use words to wound the reputation, and image that others have of someone we are angry with.
There are many verses in the bible that speak of verbal spear throwers but here are just a couple:
PPT 5 text
Ps 140:3 They sharpen their tongues as a serpent; Poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah.
Ro 3:13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";
James 3:8 But no one can tame the tongue; [it is] a restless evil [and] full of deadly poison.
So this morning I want to talk about dealing with spear throwers. Why God not only allows them but also has a very important place for them in your life.
I am going to read a portion of a book, I read as young Christian many years ago. It is perhaps my favorite Christian book outside of the bible. It is foundational to who I am, and how I was shaped at the earliest parts of my Christian walk. Foundations are the hidden parts of us that determine the overall strength of our spiritual house.
Let me tell you a little bit about this book, and why it was written.
Written to counter abusive, and authoritarian leaders who have caused much pain to the people who have sat under their ministries.
To be honest I am not sure why I read it as a young Christian, I could not relate to that type of leader, though I have been a pastor for most of my Christian walk, I have sat under the ministry of 6 different pastors, and none of them would I ever consider to be abusive or overly authoritarian. They were all kind, gentle, caring, and faithful shepherds. But many people have been wounded in the house of God, by shepherds, deacons, lay leaders, and others in authority. Gene Edwards wrote the book, "A Tale of Three Kings" in response to people he had met whose lives had been devastated by bad leaders.
(Sad to say there are people in this world who think that way about me, though I have made a conscious effort to never be that kind of leader.)
This is one of the easiest Christian books you will ever read, and yet one of the most profound. As I said it is called, A Tale of Three Kings, and it deals with Saul, David, and Absalom. For today's message we will only deal with a portion concerning Saul and David, and you will see how accurately it goes along with the bible passage we read from 1st Samuel.
Read pages 11 - 20 (6 minutes, average reading speed)
So the message Gene Edwards has in his book for those who have been under the harsh, authoritarian, spear throwing administration of a King Saul, is simply this: God uses the Saul in others to kill the Saul in us.
We all have Saul like tendencies of spear throwing inside of us. May God use this message not to speak to us about others who have thrown spears at us, but to speak to us about the spears we have thrown in life.
I like the line, you can tell when someone has been hit by a spear they turn a deep shade of bitter. So the message is twofold. We shouldn't throw spears, and advice for those who have been hit by spears.
Let's make a four practical considerations about dealing with spear throwers.
1. If you have ever been hurt by a spear, and you know the pain it causes, then you should resolve within yourself to never hurt someone in the way you have been hurt. That was a good lesson for God to teach David, the man who would one day be king, don't you think?
2. Just because a spear cuts your skin, doesn't mean it has to cut your heart.
I read a quote once, I think it was from Harriet Beecher Stowe's book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, but I am not sure. Anyway, it went something like this. The slave in the story was asked why he never got bitter with all the whippings his white master had given him, and he replied, "The lashes fell on my back, but I never let them get in to my heart."
3. Spears from Saul like people are sometimes God's way of lancing an infection of our inner man, that we may be unaware of.
Much like the almost magical quality and wonder in which a black light reveals hidden things, wounds open the door to see show the condition of our innermost being.
4. Unjust wounds from spears reveal perhaps more than in any other way the depth of our Christian character.
PPT 6, 7 text
1Pe 2:18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
1Pe 2:19 For this [finds] favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
1Pe 2:20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer [for it] you patiently endure it, this [finds] favor with God.
1Pe 2:21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
1Pe 2:22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;
1Pe 2:23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting [Himself] to Him who judges righteously;
Infections are always more dangerous than wounds
That passage needs no commentary from me.
I have 2 more verses and then we will close this service in prayer
PPT 8 text
John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [there] you may be also.
John 19:34 but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water.
I know I am wresting John 14:3 from it's context, but I want to use it to make this true statement:
God in life will send us to places He has prepared for us, where others will thrust a spear into us. But it will always be a place He has already gone to Himself, and taught us how to respond to. His goal is that where He is, in character, and morals, gentleness, and forgiveness, we will be also.
He knows what it is like to be speared and has set the example for us to follow.
Close: I have spear wounds that have turned me a shade of bitter, I want to leave them at the cross.
I have been convicted by the Holy Spirit this morning of being a spear thrower, I want to ask forgiveness, and the grace to be more like Jesus.
I want God to remove the Saul like tendencies of my personality out of me.
