1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)
29 January 2006
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
CP Walker Multicultural Gospel Service
Taegu, South Korea
BIG IDEA: Churches and religious leaders who are only concern about how believers “outwardly look” should be avoided.
REFERENCES: 1 Sam 13:14 – KJV (But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee); 1 Samuel 16:1-13 – The Story of David’s Anointing(KJV); Philippians: Chapters 1-3 (KJV); 1 Samuel: Chapters 1-7 (Life of Samuel: Last of the Judges and First of The Prophets); 1 Samuel 8-15: The Story of Saul – Man of Flesh; 1 Samuel 16-31: The Story of David: Man of Faith – and man after God’s Own Heart; SAMUEL – the last of the judges and first of the prophets.
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Philippians 3:1-3 & 1 Samuel 16:7
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Philippians 3:1-3 (KJV) & 1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)
III. READ THE TEXT: Philippians 3:2 (Beware of dogs,
beware of evil workers,
beware of the concision).
&
1 Samuel 16:7 (But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not
on his countenance, or on the height of
his stature;because I have refused him:
for the LORD seeth not as man seeth;
for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looketh on the
heart).
IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to WATCH-OUT and AVOID churches and religious leaders who are only concern about their outward appearance.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “Watch THEM DAWGS”
INTRODUCTION: … How many folk in here today are “DOG” lovers? If you love DAWGS, please stand. Brothers and sisters, please join me in giving our dogs’ lovers a round of applause. I, for one, really appreciate folk that shower their dogs with love and care. Because I, with good reasons, don’t care for dogs.
For you see, all it takes is one bad or terrible experience with dawgs to become someone who doesn’t care for dogs. For me, my bad experience occurred when I was about 9 or 10 years old. I
was headed to our neighborhood store to purchase some coconut butter cookies. As some of you may recall, those cookies were two for a penny … I was going to pick-up a pint of Lady Borden’s Butter Pecan Ice Cream too.
I was minding my own business with the corner-store in site … I could almost taste those cookies.
When all of a sudden, out of nowhere came this mean dawg and his two friends. He was doing a slow growl behind me.
**********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 1: A slow growl is when the dawg – growls while simultaneously showing some long teeth.
a. Well, it take me long to decide that this was one of those moments when I should probably run for my life.
b. So, I did … and so did he and his friends.
c. As I realized that I couldn’t out-run them, I ran and jump on top of the nearest car… and I have been reluctant to love and care for dawgs every since.
d. Although, I do appreciate folks that do love dawgs.
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 2: In fact, some months ago, one of our deacons-in-training (Dea. Balentines with a backpack on his shoulder) was enroute to our Tuesday night Pastoral Bible Study.
a. At first glance, from a distance, I could see him walking with “precious” (his dawg from the toy group). He had a short leach around her neck.
b. However, as we got closer to the chapel, for some reason or another – I must have turned my head for just a moment.
c. At any rate, when I turned around, I recall saying to myself … man he sure tied her up outside rather QUICKLY.
d. Without any further deliberation on the subject matter I walked into the chapel.
e. I sat listening to and enjoying our Praise and Worship, when suddenly I noticed a little small head peaking-out of Dea. Balentines backpack.
f. It was his dawg "PRECIOUS".
g. I immediately when over to him and requested his presence into the chapel’s foyer.
h. After informing Dea. Balentines that we couldn’t have "dawgs" in the sanctuary, he left too.
i. I guess his position was if the WORD isn’t good enough for my DAWG, it’s not good enough for me. The brother loves his dawg.
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS*********************
MOVE 3: Likewise, there are many people with great affection for their dawgs.
a. Dawg care is big time and big business.
b. Did you know that there are over 9,000 books written on dogs along? And in America, there are over 200 different types of Dawgs.
e. I’m not kidding! Dog care is big business and big time publication.
f. There are books such as “How to understand what your dog is saying; “Dog Language and the acronyms they understand”; The Psychology of Dogs; and How to Change your dogs behaviors.
g. The list goes on and on. You have different groups of dogs:
h. Sporting Group Dogs, Non-Sporting Group Dogs, Hunting Dogs, Toy Dogs, and etc…
i. I even found a website that will tell you what type of dog you would be, if you were a dog.
j. It said that I would be an English foxhound. All of which, was very interesting to say the least.
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 4: My brothers and sisters, in my theological research, I learned that dogs
haven’t always been domesticated.
a. They weren’t always pets.
b. Historically, during Biblical time, they were vicious.
c. They traveled in packs and they ate humans.
d. Who can ever forget the story, in 2 Kings 9:36, of dogs eating the body of Jezebel – the evil wife of King Ahab.
e. Dogs haven’t always been man’s best friend.
************************TAKE 5 BEATS*****************
MOVE 5: Therefore in the Book of Philippians, we find the Apostle Paul writing from his jail cell with his side-kick Timothy at his side.
a. According to theological research, Paul wrote three books while he was in prison: Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians.
b. Apparently, Chapter One of Philippians had been written and sent by a faithful brother-in-the Lord: Epaphroditus (from Paul and Timothy).
d. Epaphroditus was warmly received and greeted and sent back to Paul and Timothy with some gifts for which Paul was extremely grateful.
e. But, Epaphroditus also brought back some news of the Judaizers infiltrating the Philippians body of believers – …
f. … telling them that their appearance was most as Christians.
g. As a result, they needed to be circumcised to be true Christians.
h. This perspective angers the Apostle Paul greatly. So much so, that in our text, today, Paul vehemently writes – Beware of dogs …
**********************TAKE 5 BEATS*******************
MOVE 6: He warns them that contrary to what they had been told – it was more important for their HEARTS to be circumcised then their foreskins.
a. He warned them of the dangers of being so legalistic.
b. Paul reminded the Philippians that man could not make himself righteous.
c. God was more concern about their ability to accept, receive and love someone then anything else.
d. (Philippians 3:3) For we are the true circumcision, who … put no confidence in the flesh (or our minds and physical body).
********************TAKE 5 BEATS*********************
MOVE 7: Likewise, my brothers and sisters, many of leaders and churches today,
put too much emphasis on the outward appearance and too less
emphasis on the abundance of the heart.
a. But, God looks at the heart of man.
b. Likewise, in our Old Testament Text today, we find ourselves, visiting with the Shepherd Boy, the Psalmist, and the Giant Slayer – DAVID.
c. Now, my brothers and sisters, I’m a firm believer that the Old Testament accounts illustrates the TRUTH that are set forth in the New Testament.
d. For who can ever forget how God spoke to Samuel regarding the anointing of Israel’s King?
e. For don’t you remember: (Tell the story about Samuel asking Jessie if these were all of his sons).
**********************TAKE 5 BEATS****************
MOVE 8: Now, my brothers and sisters, I am a firm believer that WHAT WE WEAR, as believers of Jesus Christ, is extremely important.
a. And as a pastor and a Chaplain in the United States Army, I can’t just wear anything.
b. But, at the same time, I don’t believe WHAT WE WEAR, as believers, is the most important message that we should be sending to the unbelievers in our neighborhood and surrounding communities…
c. Again, let me be perfectly clear: How we dress as Christian is an important message, but it’s not the MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE…
d. For example, in my preparation for today’s message, I came across a type of Art that I, a former Art student, had forgotten existed. In fact, I didn’t even recall it.
e. It’s called “An-a-mor-pho-sis Art”.
f. It’s a specific kind of art that can only be appreciated when viewed at a certain vantage point.
**********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 9: In fact, one of the definition found on Dictionary.com defines it as: An
image that appears distorted unless it is viewed from a special angle …
a. There is a short story that was once told about the future King of England entitled, “The Narrow Perspective That Reveals Him”:
b. It has been said that the royal portrait looked like a bad joke. It seemed as if the future King of England had been mocked.
c. William Scrots, the court painter, appeared to have done a great injustice to Edward VI.
d. The skull ballooned in back, the forehead bulged, the nose looked like a beak, and the chin undershot the face.
e. But Edward’s attitude must have changed when Scrots told him the secret.
f. For you see … by squinting at the picture through a peephole in the side of the frame, … a fine representation with no deformities could be seen.
g. One who viewed it described Edward as having a “handsomely proportioned countenance.”
h. Someone has said that the unusual painting along with about 100 others like it toured the United States in 1986 in an exhibit of what is called “anamorphosis art.”
i. My brothers and sisters … when we think about it, we have to admit that many things in life are similar to the anamorphous portrait of King Edward VI:
j. they can be appreciated only when viewed from a certain vantage point.
***********************TAKE 5 BEATS******************
CONCLUSION:
Likewise, today, we are reminded that where man sees the ugly and weak, …
… the Lord sees the beautiful and strong; …
…and where man sees the beautiful or handsome, the Lord sees the ugly and spiteful.
We are also reminded that we can judge ourselves and those around us by the world’s standards – the outward appearance - or we can try …
… to look at ourselves and those around us from God’s perspective - the HEART.
