Message for the LORD'S DAY MORNING, November 26,2017 Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister TOPIC: Encouragement, Christian Living Encourage Yourself In The LORD! I Samuel 30:1-6 (NKJV) Our scripture text comes to us this morning from I Samuel chapter thirty. And we will be reading verses 1-6. I Samuel 30:1-6 (NKJV) 1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
I N T R O D U C T I O N ILLUSTRATION: An old familiar legend tells how the devil had put his tools up for sale, each marked with the appropriate price. The tools of hatred...lust...jealousy...deceit...lying...and pride were all there. But setting off to the side by itself was another tool marked with an extremely high price tag. A potential buyer asked the devil, What tool is this? The devil said, That is my tool of discouragement. The buyer said, Its all beat up and worn. Why do you have it priced so high? The devil said, Because it is my most useful tool. I have used discouragement to bring more men down than any other tool I own. *********** Satan has been using his tool of discouragement on every child of GOD from the days of Adam and Eve until now. There's not a single one of us here this morning who hasn't battled discouragement many, many times. No one is immune to discouragement. Children get discouraged...teenagers get discouraged...young adults, and middle-aged adults, and elderly adults get discouraged. We get discouraged in our marriages. We get discouraged in raising our children. We get discouraged in our jobs. We get discouraged in our Churches. We get discouraged with life in general. No wonder the apostle admonishes us in I Thessalonians 5:11 to Encourage one another and build each other up. We all need encouragement on this long and difficult journey to our heavenly home.
But I think all of us have learned that quite often there are times when no encouragement comes from others. And in those times we often find ourselves wondering... Why doesn't anyone ever call me, or come to see me, or send me a card? Why doesn't anyone ever speak a word of encouragement to me? What do we do when encouragement doesn't come from anyone around us? In today's message we are going to learn that there are times when the only one who can encourage us is ourselves. **************** BACKGROUND The account we are looking at this morning takes place about 1,000 years before the birth of Christ. David had already been anointed to become Israel's new king, but it would be many years before he would ascend to the throne. King Saul, Israel's current king was filled with jealousy towards David because after killing Goliath, David's popularity with the Israelite people soared, while Saul's popularity greatly diminished. For seven years now David has been on the run in the wilderness because King Saul is out to kill David in an attempt to hang on to his throne. For seven years now, David has been hiding in caves and sleeping many nights on the hard wilderness ground. But during those seven years on the run, 400 mighty fighting men have joined ranks with David. They are David's army. They are fiercely loyal followers of Israel's next king.
Despite the fact that King Saul is out to kill David, David and his 400 mighty warriors have been fighting against Israel's enemies, and defending the southern cities and villages in Israel from invading Bedouin marauders. More specifically, David and his fighting men were destroying enemies that the Israelites failed to exterminate back in the days of Joshua when the Israelites first entered the Promised Land. When word got back to the Israelites that David and his men were defeating Israel's enemies, David's popularity grew even greater, and so did King Saul's jealousy. In time David's army grew to six hundred men and they set their sites on the Philistines, one of Israel's arch-enemies. But rather than attacking the Philistines, David and his men pretended to be their allies. David told the Philistines about King Saul's hatred of him and that Saul was out to kill him. Well the Philistines bought David's story and were convinced that it was safe to allow David and his mighty men to accompany the Philistine army into battle. In fact, David and his army were given the specific responsibility of bringing up the rear and serving as personal body guards for the Philistine King when they went into battle. But some of the leaders in the Philistine army smelled a rat. They began to fear that David and his mighty fighting men might turn on them. And so they sent David and his men packing. David and his band of 600 decided to head back to their home in Ziklag for some R and R. It was a three day's journey. As they made their journey no doubt David and his men were excited about getting home to be reunited with their families. No doubt they savored the thoughts of eating home-cooked meals and sleeping in their own beds.
David himself had been away from his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail for years because it was not safe for him to return home since Saul was out to kill him. But as David and his men came to the hill overlooking the city of Ziklag they saw a horrible sight. Ziklag had been burned. Their homes were gone, and their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken captive. (v.3) And in verses 4,5 we read... 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. David and his men had never lost a battle. They had never tasted defeat. Imagine the horror of returning home to find that their own hometown had been destroyed and all their relatives had been taken hostage. They were completely overwhelmed with discouragement. But no one was more discouraged that David. Not only did he feel personally responsible because he was the leader of his army, but notice what happens in verse 6 a... 6 a Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. David's loyal followers had gone into battle after battle for him, not only turned their backs on him, they now plotted to kill him. In a time when David desperately needed encouragement, he had no one to encourage him.
What did David do? The latter part of verse 6 tells us... v.6 But David strengthened himself in the LORD his GOD. (King James Version) but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. For the remainder of the message I would like to draw your attention to two simple points. First of all let's consider... I. How DAVID Encouraged HIMSELF IN THE LORD 1. We must understand that David had not sought God's direction or God's will when he and his men allied themselves with the Philistines. In fact, that move specifically violated God's prohibitions for His people to form alliances with pagan people who worshiped false gods. 2. Have you ever noticed how often our times of greatest discouragement comes at times when we are out-ofstep or out of fellowship with GOD? And quite often it is in those times of discouragement that we become keenly aware of how much we need GOD. 3. I think when David saw his hometown burned...and realized his wives, and the wives and children of his men had been taken captive, and that his own men were plotting to stone him to death...david started reflecting on just how desperately he needed to get back in fellowship with the LORD.
4. Notice verse 6 doesn't simply say, David encouraged himself. Nor does it say, David encouraged himself in himself. It says, David strengthened (ENCOURAGED) himself in the LORD HIS GOD. What Did David Do To Encourage Himself in The LORD? (A) David encouraged himself in the LORD by remembering GOD'S PROMISES. In I Chronicles 17 God promised David that He would be his father and that David would be His son. And that He would never withdraw His mercy from David as He had with his predecessor King Saul. And God promised David that through his descendants He would establish a kingdom that would live forever. Of course this is a prophetic promise referring to Christ Himself who would be born into the bloodline of King David a thousand years later. In his time of great discouragement David encouraged himself in the LORD by reflecting on GOD'S PROMISES. (B) David encouraged himself in the LORD by remembering GOD'S FAITHFULNESS God had been faithful to give David the victory over GOLIATH, the Philistine giant. And God had been faithful to spare David's life those two times King Saul tried to nail him to a wall with his spear.
And God had been faithful to protect him and preserve him and to provide for him those seven years he was on the run from Saul in the wilderness. When David thought about God's faithfulness and goodness towards him over all those years he couldn't help but be encouraged in the LORD. (C) David encouraged himself in the LORD by SEARCHING FOR GOD'S WILL. In verses 7, 8 of our text we read... I Samuel 30:7,8 (NKJV) And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. Remember when David and his men allied themselves with the Philistines they did not seek God's will. In fact they violated God's will. But now, before David and his men go track down the enemies who had burned their city and taken their families hostage, David seeks God's will before he makes a move.
Now let's consider... Today we seek God's will through the Bible and prayer. In David's day, they sought God's will by using the ephod of the High Priest. The ephod contained sacred stones with the names of each of the twelve tribes of Israel on it. Somehow that ephod was used to determine the will of God in a matter. After seeking God's will, David was assured that he and his men would be victorious over the enemy responsible for burning their city, the Amalekites. And that they would get their families back. By seeking God's will in this matter, David greatly encouraged himself in the LORD! David encouraged himself in the Lord by remembering God's PROMISES,, and by remembering God's FAITHFULNESS,, and by searching for God's WILL. II. How WE Can Encourage OURSELVES IN THE LORD 1. Most of our Christian life will be spent outside the Church building apart from our fellow Christians. In fact, there will be many times when we are totally isolated from our spiritual support system. 2. It is in those times of spiritual isolation and loneliness that
Satan will attack us with discouragement and depression. That is why it is vitally important that we learn to do what David did and that is to encourage ourselves in the Lord. 3. So how do we do that? How do we encourage ourselves in the LORD? Here are some suggestions... (A) We can encourage ourselves through PRAYER. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)... 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Paul is telling us here that the best antidote for anxiety, and worry, and discouragement, and depression is PRAYER. Through PRAYER you will discover something that no pill in a bottle can ever give you and that is the soothing, calming PEACE OF GOD WHICH SURPASSES ALL HUMAN UNDERSTANDING. And God's peace will guard your mind and your heart from discouragement through Christ Jesus who is the Prince of Peace. If you are worried about your job...pray PRAY! If you are worried about your children...pray PRAY! If you are worried about your health...pray PRAY! If you are worried about your finances...pray PRAY!
If you are worried about your future...pray PRAY! Praying is one of the best things you and I can do to encourage ourselves. (B) We can encourage ourselves through READING SCRIPTURE. Psalm 119:165 (NKJV) Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. What the Psalmist is telling us is that there is a direct connection between reading and studying the word of GOD and our peace of mind and heart. If you are always discouraged, always down-in-the-dumps, perhaps it is because you have neglected to spend time in God's word. The late George Mueller, the English missionary once said, When nothing else will work, encourage yourself in the LORD. Do it with the word of GOD. And be assured if you walk with Him, and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you. -George Mueller I have found in my own personal life that when I am greatly discouraged one of the best things I can do is to read from the Book of Psalms. Time after time I have been greatly encouraged and strengthened by these wonderful writings of King David. (C) We can encourage ourselves through MEDITATION.
In Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) the apostle Paul tells us... Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. Don't ever under-estimate the power of your thought-life. If you constantly feed your mind on negative or ungodly things it will greatly affect your attitude and outlook on life. Illustration: I used to watch the news every single day. And the more news I watched the more discouraged I got. NEWS is naturally inclined towards the most negative, the most discouraging, and the most evil elements in the world around us. Well I made a willful choice to stop watching so much news. And you know what I discovered? I discovered that I am not nearly as discouraged and depressed as I was when I watched the news every day. If you want something to think about that will lift your spirits and greatly encourage you... (1) MEDITATE ON GOD'S FAITHFULNESS. II Thessalonians 3:3 (NKJV) But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. Remember this is one of the things David did to encourage himself. He meditated on God's
faithfulness to him. If you will meditate on God's faithfulness you will be greatly encouraged by the truth that GOD has brought you through every trial and every trouble and every hardship you have ever faced in this life, and He will be faithful to see you through whatever you are going through right now. (2) MEDITATE ON GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY Psalm 103:8-12 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth,so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Max Lucado says it so eloquently: There s a reason the windshield is bigger than the rear-view mirror. Your future matters more than your past! God s grace is greater than your sin. You thought the problem was your calendar, your marriage, or your job. In reality, it may be unresolved guilt. Don t indulge it! Don t drown in the bilge of your own condemnation. What you did was not good. But your God is good and He will forgive you. He is ready to write a new chapter in your life. Say with Paul, Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us (Philippians 3:13-14 TLB). Your salvation has nothing to do with your work and everything to do with the finished work of Christ on the cross. Rejoice in the Lord s grace and mercy!
(3) MEDITATE ON GOD'S PROMISES Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. The Bible is filled with hundreds of promises from GOD. GOD promises to work all things together for our good. GOD promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. GOD promises to forgive us when we confess our sins. GOD promises to supply all of our needs. GOD promises to answer our prayers. GOD promises to finish the good work He started in us. And GOD promises us eternal home with Him when this life is over. If you and I will meditate on the wonderful promises of GOD we will greatly encourage ourselves in the LORD. There are many other things you can do to encourage yourself in the LORD such as singing praises to GOD, listening to uplifting Christian music, reading good Christian books, and listening to good, doctrinally sound preaching and teaching.
The point is this: If you are solely dependent upon others to encourage you and build you up in your walk with Christ you will struggle with discouragement and defeat all the time. This is why it is so vitally important that you learn the value of encouraging yourself in the LORD! CONCLUSION Illustration: When I was growing up we kept missionaries in our home from time to time. One of my favorite missionaries was Chan Yung Kim, or C.Y. Kim as most people call him. C.Y. Kim is a native South Korean who graduated from Johnson Bible College, then returned to South Korea to be a missionary to his own people. About fifteen or twenty years ago, C.Y. Kim ventured across the border into North Korea in an attempt to reach the North Korean people with the gospel. He was soon captured by North Korean soldiers, and for two and half years he was confined to 4' x 4' wooden box. C.Y. was completely isolated from his family, and all his brothers and sisters -in-christ. There was no one inside that box to encourage him. The North Korean soldiers fed him the smallest of daily rations, just barely enough to keep him alive. The North Korean winters were brutal as frigid air and snow blew through the cracks in his wooden box. And the intense heat of the summers was almost more than he could bear. How did C.Y. Kim survive for 2 1/2 years inside that wooden box? He encouraged himself in the LORD. He sang praises to God. He quoted scriptures from memory since he didn't have his Bible with him. He meditated on God's promises and God's faithfulness and God's goodness. And he also preached the gospel to a little spider that lived inside the box with him.
And it was in the midst of that total isolation that C.Y. Kim was greatly comforted by the presence of GOD with him inside that box. Had he spent his days dwelling on the fact that there was no one around to encourage him, C.Y. Kim would have gone insane. But by encouraging himself in the LORD C.Y. Kim survived those two and half years, and he has encouraged thousands upon thousands of people with his testimony since his release. ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD!