Brother Gary Sunday Morning 8/12/12

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 8/12/12

1Sa 18:1  And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

1Sa 18:2  And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

1Sa 18:3  Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

1Sa 18:4  And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

1Sa 18:5  And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

1Sa 18:6  And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.

1Sa 18:7  And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

1Sa 18:8  And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?

1Sa 18:9  And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

1Sa 18:10  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul's hand.

1Sa 18:11  And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

1Sa 18:12  And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.

1Sa 18:13  Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

1Sa 18:14  And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.

1Sa 18:15  Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

1Sa 18:16  But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

Eyed by the enemy:  We need to not be focused on being eyed by the enemy but instead realize that there is a God in heaven.  Jonathan loved David; Saul became jealous of David and eyed him.  Saul then tried to destroy David, but David behaved himself wisely. 

Four parts to this message:  No one ever loved us like Jesus does this morning.

Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

There will be occasions where you will feel that you are eyed by the enemy.  It is unfortunate when people decide to pick out someone, become jealous of them, have an attitude about them, and make them their enemy.  We need to not focus on the eye of the enemy.  It may be a person that has picked us out, but the greatest enemy in our spiritual walk is the old devil. 

First we want to focus on the love of Jesus. 

Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

We are blessed that God has left us his commands and his words.  His commands draw the lines so that we know what to do and can prove to the world and to God that we love God.

Joh 15:11  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

There are many things that will rob our joy today.  Remember that Jesus came that we could have joy and be members in his kingdom: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.  He wants our joy full.

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

These are familiar thoughts and scriptures but there will not be any new scripture and thought.  There may be scriptures that have not come alive before that may come alive but this word was settled a long time ago and those that add or subtract from it will have their name blotted out of the book of life.  We are not here to do either.

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

We have had great expressions of love sent to us from God the Father in that He sent Jesus.  Jesus made the greatest expression of love in that He laid down His life for us. 

You may feel at times when you wonder if you are really loved by whomever it may be.  Sis McConahae told of their adopted son, Gary:  Brother McConahae said to his wife, “Does Gary love us?”  Sister McConahae said, “Sam, He says he loves us.”  Brother McConahae then asked, “Why doesn’t he ever come to see us.”  This is a difficult question and difficult to answer.

Regardless who it is that we wonder if they love us because of their actions, you can rest assured of and rejoice in that God and His son love you dearly. 

If you are His own and have confessed, repented, and turned from your sin, He will meet you every morning in your devotions.  This has been tried and proven and you can rest assured that God will speak to His children on a daily basis.  You may not have lots of feeling or emotion but if you will quiet yourself before Him He will speak to His children.

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

With Jesus there were no secrets.  His life was an open book, what he heard from the father he gave to us and we are His friends.

It is beautiful to read of the love that Jonathan and David had for each other.  There are several more messages that could come from this of the good affect that this love had on David’s life.  Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle and there could be messages preached on the affect of not serving God.

Saul had had openly chosen to rebel and disobey God.  This is the reason that he was troubled by an evil spirit.  Saul’s servants told him to have a harpist come so that the evil spirits might abate.  Saul did this and David played and God honored his playing.

David walked wisely before this king that was troubled from God.  Pray for me.  I don’t believe that I am the only one in this audience that will walk before those that are troubled from God.  Many are critical and will try to find something in your life that makes them more comfortable with theirs.  We need wisdom.

The enemy had his eye on an individual that loved Jesus and walked with Him.  This individual failed God and failed the brothern.

Luk 22:31  And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

We need not walk feeling that we are damned.  As it was with Peter so is it for everyone that makes a start for God and His truth.  Satan desires to have you that he might gather you into his barn and his kingdom. 

Jesus said, “I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.”  The greatest enemy that you and I face is unbelief.  Unbelief is turned loose today.  It causes men and women to question whether God is able to help them in the exact situation that they are in. 

We will all be in situations; God help our faith to not waver.  God is able to help us in the exact situation that we are in.  We know that Peter failed, but he got it right and then kept it right.  Thank God for that.

Saul tried to destroy David.  The enemy of your soul is definitely out to destroy you.  You may have become the target of an individual that has yielded to evil and they also may be out to try to destroy you.  Don’t get your eyes on them; if you do and you take your eyes off of Jesus then were will your help be.

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

To our brothers and our sisters, to the children in this congregation, to Alex that gets the summary of this message.  Dear families, mothers and fathers in this congregation, to the brothers and sisters in this audience that are knocking on 80, I want you to have this scripture. 

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

If you will know and serve God and know how to communicate with Him even at a young age you will be blessed.  David faced a bear and a lion at a young age and overcame them.  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.  Nothing that would come against you to target you will prosper. 

When someone gets something into their hand that they would use to try to destroy you, (as the javelin with Saul that was designed to pin David to a wall and take his life), there is a God in heaven. 

David walked wisely.  God help us to walk wisely before our family, our friends, and our neighbors.  God help these students and the teachers that are saved to walk wisely. God help the mothers that are here, and the fathers that are here to walk wisely.  I don’t feel that I have attained.  I need divine intervention from God to walk wisely. 

I have a brother that is so needy.  God help us to walk wisely. 

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

You may be eyed this morning.  The Word of God is speaking to us, “Are you going to let anyone separate you from the love of Christ?”  Then he goes on and deals with things: famine, sometimes the famine is lonesomeness.  Sometimes people think that so-in-so could never get lonesome with a husband or wife, and children or neighbors.  Lonesomeness may be lonesome for some of the family of God. 

Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Perils, we live in perilous times, but there are also the perils of false brothers, and individuals may fall a victim to a scam.  I’m not thinking of someone calling you n the telephone and telling you that your lost cousin needs your bank account number.  I’m talking of those that may just attempt to leave you with an attitude or with a thought in your mind.

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Someone threatening you or offering you life will not separate you from God if you are determined to stay true to God. 

We live in a day when a lot of people are always trying to figure out a strategy to trap someone and get what they want in whatever it might be.  No principal can separate us from Christ. 

David was eyed by Saul and was anointed of God and left us this instruction.  During this season that David was targeted by Saul, he was found in a difficult, awkward, perilous situations and God took care of him and gave him, Psalms 34.

Psa 34:13  Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Psa 34:14  Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Psa 34:15  The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

There is great value in watching your tongue.  Seek peace and pursue peace.  Go after it.  When you find yourself in a difficult situation, eyed by the enemy, seek peace by keeping your tongue, staying away from guile, doing no evil.  Seek peace.  Find promises where God promises to give you peace.

We see the exact opposite of Saul’s eye on David:  “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. 

There are times when we feel targeted spiritually and literally.  Don’t let your focus get on the eyes of the enemy.  Remember the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous.

Psa 34:16  The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

Saul had not been cut off at this time, but we all know that he and Jonathan were killed.  Don’t get your focus on the end of the evil, but rest assured that God will take care of his own. 

Psa 34:10  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

As great as Saul was, he had great lacks.  We all will suffer from the eye of the enemy but never focus on the eye of the enemy, focus on the eye of the Lord and remember that His eyes are upon the righteous.