Who Is Your Captain

1 sam 22:1-5

Who is your captain?

• Everyone has a leader. Someone or something is leading you. I want Jesus to lead you. I want Jesus to be your leader and the focus of your life. Every decision through the hands of Jesus

• Great story - David is on the run from Saul, just did the crazy dance, and now he is hiding in a cave, while he is hiding in the cave- he writes some psalms, he cries out to God, and then some 400 people who need help show up. David becomes their leader. David trusts God for direction. God gives him Direction. We’ve talked about this- David is not the eternal King- Jesus is.

• Interesting parallels here- David in a cave, Jesus in a tomb. Weary come to David. Weary come to Jesus. David will of the Father. Jesus will of the Father. Salvation in David. Salvation in JC

• They are looking for a leader. They need help. distressed, in Debt, and Discontented.

• Distress- Compressed, Lying in pain. Life is overwhelming, too much. Cant seem to get there

• Debt- Owe everyone. Can’t manage your life. Day late and a dollar short. Slave to lender

• Discontented- Unable to be satisfied. Nothing tastes good. Nothing fills up or takes away

• Does this resonate with Anyone? Does this sound familiar? WHO WILL LED ME FROM PAIN?

• Who Is your captain? Its either you, someone else, or Jesus. Who is it?

• Easy to find out- who tells you what to do and how to do it? Who is running the show?

Many people who are not Christians- and many who proclaim to be Christian FOLLOW:

1. Outside influence is their captain- Not JESUS

• For many people outside the church (sadly those inside the church as well) They are led by influences on TV, Movies, News organizations, Books, magazines. Celebrities and online

• 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. (But people don’t test-consume)

• IF this person has some sort of national following- they must be correct. Numbers equal truth.

• Dr Phil. Judge Judy. The View. Jimmy Kimmel. Jon Stewart. Dr. Oz. Trevor Noah. Rachel Maddow. Rush Limbaugh. Steven Crowder. Sean Hannity. Kelly Ripa. Oprah. Etc etc.

• People watch these shows and take what they say as truth, because- famous!

• People watch award shows and Television dramas and movies. Netflix and Prime and Youtube. Filling their minds with ideas from the world teaching them to be like the world

• 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ( This is everything that the world offers)

• Typically- these influences are filled with anti-Christ rhetoric. Mockery of Christians. Promotion of Sexual immorality. Racial division. Celebration of Abortion. Celebration of Sin. Accumulation of wealth and stuff- if you find yourself saying “I was watching this program” Or “this movie”

• The message is clear- You don’t need God. You don’t need restraint. We will tell you what to believe and destroy you if you don’t agree. Sex. Drugs. Indulgence. Destruction. SELFISH

• Sadly- Many so called followers of Christ spend more time ingesting these influences than the word of God and these influencers are their leader. The world is their god and their captain.

2. Their own ideas are their captain- Not JESUS

• You can read a lot of books. Millions of them. You can go to school and get an education.

• There’s two types of education- quantifiable and non-quantifiable.

• If you’re getting training on math and medical care, there’s not a lot of room for discussion

• But what happens is- people go to a school, or read a book and take on ideas from them

• they think that their ideas are true because they believe them. Your belief doesn’t equal truth.

• Col 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

• Education is- I went to learn from someone else what they believed and they awarded me a degree to prove that I learned what they wanted me to learn. I now think like they want.

• I’m not against education- education is great- but not education is equal. Hitler educated peeps

• The problem is- people get an idea in their head and that becomes their captain. “I believe”

3. Their desires are their captain- Not JESUS

• You have outside influence, ideas in your head that aren’t from God- you are going to be a slave to your desires- Base instincts- A subconscious urge, behavior, or intuition directed by primeval, animalistic, self-serving, and/or ignoble motivations.