“GET OUT OF THE HOLE”
ILLUSTRATION: Telemarketer
A telemarketer called a home one day, and a small voice whispered, “Hello?”
“Hello! What’s your name?” Still whispering, the voice said, “Jimmy.” “How old are you, Jimmy?”
“I’m four.” “Good, Is your mother home?” “Yes, but she’s busy.” “Okay, is your father home?”
“He’s busy too.”“I see, who else is there?” “The police.” “The police? May I speak with one of them?”
“They’re busy.” “Any other grown-ups there?” “The firemen.”“May I speak with a fireman, please?”
“They’re all busy.” “Jimmy, all those people in your house, and I can’t talk with any of them? What are they doing?” “Looking for me,” whispered Jimmy.
Intro: I have never in my life and ministry seen a time like what is taking place within the church today. There are so many that call themselves Christians or believers but many have come to find many things of greater importance than God and His church. God has called us to live a separated and holy life different from a world that is filled with sin and iniquity. We call ourselves the Church of Jesus Christ, Christians and so-called believers in the faith but the statistics of the Christians are no different than that of the world. We still have as many divorces in the church as in the world, people in the church are drinking, cursing and crousing like the world but we are supposed to be changed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Text: I Samuel 13:6; 14:6-12 Romans 8:35-37
What we read is that Jonathan, Saul’s son kills one of the leaders or garrison of the Philistine. This caused the Philistines to become angry and they came to overtake the Hebrews or children of Israel. When they saw that the Philistines were coming the Bible says they began to run to the holes, caves, pits and rocks to hide themselves.
- - - - - - - - I Samuel 13:6 - - - - - - - - -
It is hard for us to imagine a Hebrew or Israelite hiding out in a hole. This word HOLE in the Hebrew means a serpents den, narrow and filthy under ground den. A hole is no place for a Hebrew or Israelite or even a Christian, which is considered a spiritual Hebrew, Israelite. I am a son of a Hebrew.
II Corinthians 11:22 “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So Am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.”
I Peter 2:10 “Who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
Time for the Child of God to come out of our Holes, NOT a place for us:
I. GET OUT OF HOLE OF INDEBTINESS
A. So many people are living in a hole of indebtiness because they cannot afford to stick their head out. It is I owe, I owe, It’s off to work I go. We live in an indebt society, that everywhere you turn people can’t live a normal life for having to try to keep up with everyone around them.
B. God has not called for the child of God to become a servant to the enemy, but He has called us out to live in complete freedom from the bondage and prison of indebtiness. People are not only indebted to man but they owe God. Many are not giving to God what they owe him, so they are indebted to God.
C. Church I honestly believe that we cannot afford to owe God anything. We talk about people owing this bill or that, when many people won’t pay God what He has ask of them to give. Happy when out of the hole.
II. GET OUT OF HOLE OF DISCOUAGEMENT
A. One of the most dangerous places for an individual to get, is to get in a hole of discouragement thinking that there is no hope whatsoever. Many people says, well, a Hebrew or Christian gets that way. Oh yes they do and many times we are the worst about being discouraged.
B. Elijah a great man of God became very discouraged about the place where He had gotten. Jezebel was after him, what is the use of living and he went to hide in the cave or hole. Many things came by the door of the hole, but the still small voice drawed him out of serpents den.
III. GET OUT OF HOLE OF DEFEAT
A. There are many times within the life of each one of us that we face battles after battles and we walk away defeated and down. Just like Israel when Philistines began to come after them, they defeated them. But the next chapter says that Jonathan arose him and his men and was determined to win the battle. Jonathan knew Lord was fighting for Him. Once by faith they could fight again, they came out of hiding.
B. The Church, our families, individuals have been hiding out in the serpents den long enough. God is saying that it is time that we come out of that hole that is narrow and filthy, like an under ground prison. God has prepared a place on top of the ground for us, not under in some hole or pit somewhere. God has that prepared for the devil.
C. The sailors thought when they threw Jonah over in the hole, the belly of the whale it was over. But four days later He came out. When they threw Daniel down in the pit, it was over. Daniel no Hebrew belongs here. They threw the Three Hebrew boys in the fire pit, but they could not be burned. They put Jesus in a hole but they could not keep Him there. Because a TRUE HEBREW, CHILD OF GOD doesn’t belong there.
