BEYOND ENCOURAGEMENT
Bushnell Assembly of God
August 11, 2002 AM
1 Samuel 30: 6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
(VERSES 9-18 UNFOLDS THE MESSAGE)
INTRODUCTION
There is no greater blessing than to receive encouragement during times of extreme trial or trouble. It is a blessed fact that we can be encouraged in the Lord without anybody else’s input. We just have to decide to receive the encouragement the Lord has promised us as believers.
There is a place beyond encouragement we must go. This is where we are at. It is time for us to pursue the enemy and see the victory of our God through us!
I. THE EPHOD-THE PRESENCE OF GOD (v. 7-8)
A. The purpose of the ephod is not completely denoted in scripture
Exodus 28:4 And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
B. Clearly from its use it represents the presence of God
Verse 8 above
C. The presence of God on us and in us is needed to take us beyond encouragement (and into victory)
1. Jesus encouraged the disciples
Matthew 28:20 …lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
2. To carry out His plan and mission they needed more than encouragement-they needed His presence and power
Acts 1:8
3. WE need the presence of God to go beyond where we are at when we are encouraging ourselves in Him.
4. You don’t need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit to make it to heaven but you do need it to go the grocery store!
Acts 1:4
D. We need the Holy Spirit like we have never needed Him before
1. Whatever we face God is greater
2. Whatever we need that’s just what He is!
II. THE PURSUIT-THE GET UP AND GO (v. 9-10)
A. David did more than just enjoy His encouragement
B. David did more than just receive the “good word” from the Lord
C. David got up and went
1. David did more than just feel good he went-moved beyond just being encouraged and “got back in the fight”
So David went v.10
2. He took others with Him
3. We need to get up and go-GET UP AND GET MOVING!
Romans 13: 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
4. We need to take others with us
III. THE EGYPTIAN-THE WORLD (v. 11-14)
A. Egypt is a type of the world
B. David stopped to help an Egyptian
1. Egyptians were most always the enemy of the children of God
2. They considered the sheep herding Israelites as beneath them
3. David may have thought this one was a servant of the Amalekites
4. The truth is he stopped to help Him-It all begins with giving; GIVING OF OURSELVES
5. If we give to someone else it puts us in a position to have our needs met.
C. The Egyptian abandoned by his master
1. He was sick and his usefulness gone
2. He was discarded
3. That is what the enemy does to the world
4. The world is in desperate peril even as we speak
D. This Egyptian (worldly person) became the source of information for David’s next victory
E. The World out there is the source of our next Sunday School teachers, musicians, preachers, workers, etc.
1. They are not coming from 1st Baptist or United Methodist (they already have a job)
2. They are not coming pre-saved
3. We need to find them not them find us
4. Revive them with the sustenance of the Word
5. Then they will become some of the sources of our next victories
6. LENE
F. We must reach out to the world and give if we are to grow
IV. THE DECISION -THE LIVING BY FAITH (v. 15)
Verse 15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company?
A. David decided to live by faith
1. Restore Your Faith
--Repair (your faith) through prayer
--Start living through giving (this is the life of faith)
--Stop buying the lying (Faith in God not the enemies lies)
2. When you find the battle --it is won or lost many times in this decision
3. David decided to pursue to the fullest
B. We must live by faith
1. Trust of the Egyptians story and discerning the validity of the Egyptian
2. Decision to pursue the battle
C. David decided to live beyond encouragement
1. Many are content to stay in the encourage me stage
2. The real victory in the war against the enemy is to go after Him!
3. WE MUST DECIDE TO LIVE BEYOND JUST BEING ENCOURAGED!
4. Others who lived beyond encouragement
Noah
Gideon
Jehoshophat
V. THE ATTACK -TAKING BACK WHAT IS OURS (v. 16-18)
A. The enemy was partying on the spoils of what they had taken from David
B. They were spread out
1. David and His men were outnumbered
2. They were wearied and defeated
3. They had come to far to quit
C. David attacked with resolve and purpose to defeat
D. We need to get back in the fight and attack the enemy
E. WE NEED TO TAKE BACK WHAT HE HAS TAKEN FROM US
F. THAT’S NOT ALL
1. They were partying not on David’s stuff alone but that of the Philistines
2. David and His men spoiled that as well
3. They took back more than they lossed
4. I’M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IS WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO WITH US!
5. It is already happening
Adam and Sue
this is our youth Pastor and wife whose 3 month old son died, a very tough time but God has given back to them (over 50 kids saved in our youth group services!
My dad
Diagnosed with liver cancer given a death sentence. God has restore him and has been given a clean bill of health!
IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO RISE UP AND TAKE BACK WHAT THE DEVIL HAS TAKEN AND MORE!
