Tips On Dodging Javelins

TITLE: TIPS ON DODGING JAVELINS

SCRIPTURE: I SAMUEL 18:11 / I SAMUEL 19:10

I am honored this evening to be here to celebrate this great Pastor and Friend and his beautiful wife. I am absolutely excited to be here to witness what the Lord is doing for you and for this ministry. I pray for the angel of this house and this ministry constantly. I believe Pastor – IF YOU ARE SMALL ENOUGH, LONG ENOUGH, GOD WILL MAKE YOU BIG ENOUGH, SOON ENOUGH. Thank you for that encouraging introduction from my wife of 34 years – you are my joy.

I do recognize the theme printed on your program, however; I will leave the exposition of the theme to your keynote speaker on Sunday Afternoon. If you have your Bibles this evening, there is a Word that will challenge and equip us as we continue on this journey together and celebration weekend. Turn with me to I SAMUEL 18:11 & I SAMUEL 19:10 - I want to lift as a thought this evening – Tips on Dodging Javelins.

There is a message of caution and preparation found in this text that will help prepare you Pastor for what God has in store for you and this ministry. As God elevates us to different levels of ministry, there are things we need to understand and look out for that have the potential to harm and kill a ministry if we are not aware. So I stopped by this evening to give you some Tips on Dodging Javelins.

Let me give some historical context for this message. The Prophet, Old Man Samuel loves King Saul, and sees Saul's failure as his own failure. But God won't let the Prophet mope about the pain of the past. God gives Samuel a new mission.

--"The LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.'"

Samuel tells the Lord, anointing a new king while the reigning king is still alive is dangerous -- as if God didn't know. The anointing of the young man by the name of David is significantly political. It designates David as the King-to-be and thus is dangerous for both the Prophet Samuel and the very young David.

• David is anointed twice more for political purposes by the men of Judah

• And later by the elders of Israel

• But Samuel's anointing of David is much more significant spiritually than any political anointing!

• The Bible records “FROM THAT DAY ON THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON DAVID IN POWER

Can I tell you, when the Holy Spirit comes in power upon David it empowers him.

• The young man had been a harp-player and songwriter

• Now he becomes an anointed, prophetic songwriter and the "sweet singer of Israel" - II Samuel 23:1

• The boy who has courageously defended his flock against the lion and the bear

• Now becomes the mighty warrior who defends his country against giants and Philistines

• The young man who has shepherded his father's flock to find green pastures and still waters

• Now becomes the shepherd of a nation as its King

• All by the powerful Holy Spirit who has come upon him

So, it makes no difference who you are or what you are today.

• God is not looking at your Today

• God is focused on your Tomorrow

• You can be a Street Sweeper Today – God will make you a Deacon Tomorrow

• You can be Devilish Today – God will make you a Deaconess Tomorrow

• You can be on Drugs and Rehab Today – God will make you a Trustee Tomorrow

• You can be a Sinner Today – god will make you a Sunday School Tomorrow

• You can have a Foul Mouth today – God will have you Sing Like an Angel in the Choir Tomorrow

Some of you don’t see it yet, but here is where I am going with this thought.

• David had to wait about 15 years from the time he was first anointed by Samuel to the time he became KING OVER JUDAH

• It was another seven years before David was anointed king over all ISRAEL

• This means David waited over 20 years of his life to be made king

God is finished with Saul. He has disobeyed for the last time. His kingdom is doomed. And so the Prophet Samuel is dispatched by God to Bethlehem to anoint Saul's replacement.

• When Samuel arrives, David is not even present, because no one ever dreamed David was a contender for king