Series: Closet Christianity [#5]
KEEP IT CLEAN
1 Samuel 21:15-17
Introduction:
We have been working hard on emptying out, cleaning, sorting, and organizing our closets. Once this is all done, we’re finished- right? Of course not. Once we get our closets organized, we must keep it organized. If you remember from last week, we organized our keep pile into 3 categories (your God given responsibilities, your God given gifts, and your God given tools); and then we put those things back into our life. It takes work to keep your closet clean and organized. We also need to remember that people and situations change as time goes by.
The 1st thing in your closet that you need to keep clean and organized is…
Your God Given Responsibilities
David had been faithful to keep his God given responsibilities and go fight Goliath. David didn’t delay, he didn’t let anyone talk him out of going, and he didn’t forget how God had been faithful in the past; but that didn’t stop Satan from attacking David again. Yes, David had a reputation for being a giant slayer; but Satan could care less.
2 Samuel 21:15-17 (NLT)
“Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted. Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him. But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his rescue and killed the Philistine. After that, David’s men declared, "You are not going out to battle again! Why should we risk snuffing out the light of Israel?"
Please be reminded that:
1. Satan is not intimidated by your reputation. Satan believes in equality when it comes to trying to destroy God’s children. If Satan will attack Jesus, He will attack anyone.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (NLT)
“If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin.”
2. Your past accomplishments alone will not defeat Satan. Are you ready for battle right now?
3. One defeat is not enough to stop Satan. He tempted Jesus Christ 3 times. He will keep coming back. In our text, if you read on you will find that David and his men had to kill 4 more giants, besides Goliath.
The 2nd thing in your closet that you need to keep clean and organized is…
Your God Given Gifts
When David killed Goliath, he knew where the power and the means of victory came from. He knew his power and strength was a gift given to him from God; but one defeat is not enough to stop Satan.
Don’t become:
1. Vulnerable. The Devil is just looking for your weakness and that is when you start doing things in your own strength and not allowing the Spirit of God to lead you. “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT).
2. Stagnant. The ways you use your gifts may change. David was no longer a great warrior like he had been in the past. Did that mean that he was of no use to God? Of course not. It meant that he was going to have to use his gifts differently.
3. Blinded. If you are not careful, the Devil will blind you to the fact that God is still trying to use you. Pay attention! God will put you in the places you need to be in so that you can serve him and if you end up in a place of danger, God will protect you.
The 3rd thing in your closet that you need to keep clean and organized is…
Your God Given Tools
David had used the tools God had given him to defeat Goliath. David used those tools in the proper way and to his best ability. As we grow older, the tools we use may change. We may need to use new tools that God has given us. David didn’t have his slingshot when Ishbi-benob had cornered him; but he did have some tools and we have some of those same tools.
David had the tools of:
1. Friendship. Abishai was there to help David. I have said over and over again the last several weeks that I don’t know what I would do without my Church family. I treasure your friendship and how many of you defend me when I can’t defend myself. Thank you. We need each other.
2. Value. Abishai and David’s other men told David that he could no longer be in places of vulnerability like that because he was so important to the Nation of Israel. Just because you can’t be on the frontline does not mean that you are not valuable to the Kingdom. You are valuable to what God is doing. Don’t put yourself at risk. For example: When we are physically tired or sick, we are more vulnerable to an attack by Satan. So that means that you need to take care of yourself, get plenty of rest, and not do things that you know will make you sick. (I know, I need to really listen to that!)
3. God. What do I mean by that? Simply, without God’s protection, provision, direction, etc… we wouldn’t survive anyhow. The greatest tool we have in our life when we go to any battle is God. The greatest tool we have in our life when we are not in a battle is God. If God is for you, who can be against you?
Conclusion:
Keeping your life clean and organized is a daily job. If you keep having to go back and go through entire process all of the time, after a while you become hardened because you just get tired and worn out. It’s like I try to tell my kids, if you would pick up your dirty clothes, put your things away, take out the trash, etc… every day; it would be much easier to keep your room clean. But, if you just keep letting it pile up, when you finally start cleaning it takes days to get your room clean. Your spiritual life is no different.
Luke 9:23 (NIV)
“Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
In closing let me remind you of a tool that God has given all of us.
Ephesians 6:10-19 (NIV)
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…”
