Sermons
Nothing can hinder the Lord
Sometimes need reminding God’s got it all under control and nothing can hinder God’s purposes!
1 Sam 13:16 – 14:14
Time of defeat and difficulty 13:16-22
Philistines have invaded and battle lines drawn up. Not mobile warfare of WW2, like a pre WW1 trenches standoff without the trenches.
Israelites have no weapons – no blacksmiths to sharpen or produce weaponry.
Is your sword sharpened and ready for battle?
Heb 4:12 tells us the Bible is a sharp two-edged sword. Smith Wigglesworth £10 if you catch me without a Bible, read it in spare moments. You may say Got one on my phone. Yes, but are you reading it?!
Resolve to read it every day in 2022 – church produced daily readings – app, email. Ask and will get you on the list!
One day 14:1
We make choices everyday. When we don’t consciously make choices, we are choosing to do nothing. Am I choosing to make a difference today?
V1,6 Come on let’s go!
Jonathan and his young armour bearer – devoted disciple. Making a choice to make a difference today. To do something! Perhaps God will be in it – notice they already know what God’s general will is, they choose to do it and perhaps God will be on it. Not waiting for a voice from heaven to get up and go for it!
God’s purposes will happen
I love v6 Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.
God’s purposes will happen but God chooses to us people. He will use many or if the many don’t want to be used, He will use the few.
Fond of WW2 documentaries – often interview now old men who were part of it to describe what they did – Churchill talked of Battle of Britain never has so much been won by so few. Point of the old men on the documentaries – they were there and being part of it was the defining moment of their lives that they continually look back on. Kingdom of God – the Lord will use the young and the old!
God will save by many or the few – get to be part of what God’s doing. If the many won’t do it, he will use the few. Why not have the joy of being part of the few.
2 Cor 1:11 Paul writes of “the many”
“On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”
My first questions was – Will you read the Bible every day to keep your sword sharp?
Second & third questions – Will you pray? Will you choose to step into God’ purposes – be the few he can use?
Heart and Soul v7
The armour bearer says yes! I am with you in heart and soul. There’s deep connection there.
The world will know we are disciples by our love for one another.
Deliberately not listened to the “Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” podcast about the mega church Mark Driscoll led which crashed and burned – but I heard that the issue was that more people, mattered more than more love. It wasn’t a loving church. Let that be a lesson for us all.
May our love for one another increase.
Do you always wait for confirmation before action?
Are you paralysed by wanting to know if something is really God’s will?
Jonathan knew God’s general will – save the people of God and so wasn’t paralysed by whether this particular action is God’s specific will. Perhaps, he says, perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf.
They lay a fleece. Interesting because Christians will often lay a fleece before doing anything.
Maybe asking God to do something odd before being sure.
These guys laid a faith fleece. They started out and wanted a fleece for which direction along the way. One direction – wait for the enemy to see them and come. The other direction – take the fight up a cliff straight to them.
Not passive – needed faith. The fleece was what would happen when they showed themselves!
V12 “Come up to us and we will teach you a lesson” – Old Testament language for the playground taunt – Come on up if you think you’re hard enough!
First-fruits victory v14
God responds to the faith of stepping out of our comfort zone – often talk of low hanging fruit. God gives some low hanging fruit to pick to encourage us as we first step out. Early victories like we saw when people began to speak for 15mins in tongues.
They killed 20 enemy straight away and then the greater victory was to come.
God sends a panic among the Philistines. Saul can see it but he is more worried about who is missing from his camp than quickly taking advantage of the breakthrough. Saul is always jealous and hates other people going ahead.
God’s purpose to save whether by many or the few. Which one do you want to be?
- Jonathan and his armour bearer
- Saul procrastinating, jealous of others success,
- Army frustrated by no food, waiting for leadership
Apply this Gather, Grow, Go
Church Gather in the presence of God.
The Lord attracted to faith and obedience. Faith cultivated in the presence of God together.
D.Devenish. interesting comment that the focus in too many churches was great meeting rather than discipleship. Covid forced churches to not be all about Sunday morning, but realigning to equipping disciples.
Grow as followers of Christ – in character, gifting and skill, to be equipped to build the kingdom during our 9-5.
We gather and grow so we can go – in a short while we will scatter back tour neighbourhoods, and workplaces to extend the kingdom and witness wherever we go. As the first disciples were scattered in acts 8 they shared the gospel wherever they went. They healed the sick, they were a blessing.
Archbishop Tutu went to glory last week – I read a story of him with his mother as a young child. A white vicar stepped off the pavement as he passed and tipped his hat to his black mother. A simple sign of honouring a fellow human being that was profoundly counter cultural in apartheid South Africa. That minor incident defined for the young boy what he wanted to be and what an impact that simple gesture had.
Who knows what the eternal consequences of you being a blessing this week will be.