The Journey is the Destination

Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him and saw servant said to him, the home that are harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our Lord now command your servants who were before you to seek out a man who is skillful and plan the liar and on the harmful spirit from God is upon you. He will play it and you will bewail the sausage of service provide for me a man who can play whale and bring them to me. One of the young man answered hold I've seen a son of Jesse the best of my who is skillful and plan a man of valor, a man of lower prudent speech and a man of good presence in the Lord is withing therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, send me David, your son, who is with the sheep. Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and skin of wine and a young goat Cynthia by David his son to Saul and David came to Saul and Energy Service. Saul loved and greatly and he became his armor bearer and Saul sent to Jesse saying let David remain in my service three is found favor in my sight. Whenever the harmful spirit from God is upon Saul. David took the liar and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was whale in the harmful spirit departed from him. Escoto Lord in prayer.

Heavenly father, we come before your throne this morning, pleading for insight and direction from the Scripture we stand amazed as we look at young David.

It was just a teenager use unbelievably mature, both spiritually and emotionally. Last week we saw that David was a man after God's own heart. We saw the prophet Samuel anointing to become king of Israel.

This week we see David's patients. He refused to run ahead of God. He refused to try to make things happen.

He learned that little things matter, they learn that God uses all of our experiences to prepare us for our calling. Help us to learn through David that the journey is the destination cycle Sabbath worship kindness to little children help for the sick and elderly are not inconsequential interruptions to our primary goal.

Those things are part of the goal. Help us to run from the sins that destroyed Saul into run to the opportunities to serve God and man that we see in David Lord, keep my lips from Aaron today. May this congregation be edified through your word may Jesus be exalted for this in the precious and holy name of Jesus Christ that we pray.

Amen. You may be seated. When I was a little boy. We had a man who would drive his truck through our neighborhood about twice a week and he would assail candy and produce a we calling Shorty and we would hearing when he would come into the neighborhood.

He come around the corner and start beef in his horn and all the little kids the neighborhood would run out of their houses and run from their backyards jump off swings and they run to Shorty's truck for candy and baseball cards.

Shorty was an elderly man, but he had a lot of a lot of sense.

Yet a lot of wisdom and one particular day we were all in the truck together and he said to his own show you something and he brought out a cocoon and he said you know what this is. We didn't know I said this is a cocoon and a butterflies living in it.

They said it won't be long before the cocoon will open up and the butterfly fly will fly away and we all got excited was a window seat fly right now and if so why don't you take your non-insulated unfunded and open it up so we can see it. He said you sure you want me to do that and we said yes we want to see you do as he took his short life, and he cut very carefully through that cocoon and then he cannot open it up and we could see the butterfly inside, he peeled it back a little further and the butterfly flew out a clue about 5 feet in any field, dead to the ground and Shorty got us all together. He said he is I want to share with you an important lesson here. He said did you see what happened to that butterfly. We said yes HR the flyleaf and he died and he said you know why he died.

We said no and he said because God has a plan for the butterfly and God's plan for that butterfly is to put them in a cocoon and he has to work his way out of it and he struggles and he works in the antisera anything he does all that in order that he might strengthen himself in order that he might mature in order that he might not be. We, in order that he might make it through his life. That was tremendously important for us to hear that. Then he said this he said will not cut that I will not cut that cocoon open when I cut it open.

I did him on the service front took away his struggle and when I took away a struggle. He was weak and then he died. And then he said, us kids he said listen to me very carefully here at AA said what is true for the butterfly is true for every single one of you. God lets us go through troubles and trials and struggles, and those are not punishments from God. God does that in order that we might strengthen in order that he might prepare us for life. All that lesson from Shorty was a great lesson for me and that's the very same lesson that David has learned in first Samuel chapter 16 the Lord had sent Samuel to anoint him as that is the next King of Israel in any then he knew he was anointed not end of the float down through his hair and flow down on his on his close and flow down to the floor as the oil was flowing down his body. The Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit rushed upon him in great power level Chuck Swindoll said. He said here's David, just a teenager. He walked to the house still smelling like sheep and all of a sudden an old man hobbles over and pours on his head and drips that his hair drops on his neck. Josephus the historian says that Samuel aged whispered in his ear. The meaning of the symbol you will be the next King.

What did David do what you do in a situation like that.

I mean it done come along every other day. You know God's ways are so marvelous are thing at the most surprising moment, the most magnificent things happen you going to be the next King. What did David do want happy to report he did not go down to the nearest department store and trial grounds. He didn't order new set of business cards telling the printer, change it from Shepherd to King elect. They didn't have a bad saying I'm the new man getting shot up a chariot race through the streets of Bethlehem yelling I'm God's choice you're looking at Saul's replacement. What did he do what we have to dig a little bit and up to verse 19 in verse 19. We are told that after Saul set a messenger to go in and get David Quinn to that messenger finding he thought he founding out in the pasture he founding when he was watching the sheep what happened right after after's Samuel had anointed Saul as the new king. I mean anointed David is the new king. Our next King of Israel. David went right back to work immediately he went right back to watching over the sheep. Now it would've been very easy for David, it said at that time. Well, I've been anointed as the next King of Israel. I want to worry about the silly sheep anymore.

I want to be concerned about them. I'm the new king of Israel. Now all I got a discount to kick back and wait for God to get us to get Saul a lot of the way and then when that happens, and I will be at my destination several decades ago seminary professor shared a scriptural truth with me spiritual truth that I cherished for for decades now, and that truth was this in the Christian life, the journey is the destination brothers and sisters. What does that mean that means that every day is important. That means that all of the experiences that you have are important. Sometimes we set goals for ourselves and and and when we set those goals for ourselves. We put all of our efforts and in all of art are our time and energy into trying to meet that goal. That's all that really matters. And in doing that.

We miss out on a lot of God's blessings and a lot of opportunities for us to bless others. When I first started seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina at Southeastern Baptist seminary.

I was married I had two kids and I got a job at max produce in Raleigh to support the family and I made a commitment to get these three years over with.

I'm gonna study as hard as I can. I'm in a work is much as I can. I'm getting just get this over with so I can get all into the ministry and do what I'm supposed to do. That was my goal but I noticed after couple of months. I was spiritually draws a bone and I started praying about Lord, what, what's the matter what's going on here in the Lord brought to my mind of the things that I was leaving undone. I've not witnessed anybody, and in two months are not taught Sunday school in two months I had I my prayer life was just pitiful and my joy was absolutely gone. It was the day after that I sat down with a a seminary professor that I have a lot of respect for any share that truth with me. He said Doug and the Christian life, the journey is the destination he said, God's been putting people in front of you to work for you to witness to and you and even notice them because you've been so caught up in this vision of getting just this seminary finished so that you can get on into the real ministry.

He said I want you to know. He said you are a minister right now.

He said you have to wait three years to be a minister you can minister right now and he let me know that every day is important and every experience is important can you be a witness at the grocery store sure you can can you be a witness is a drycleaner. Sure you can can you be a witness at the gym. Sure you can sure you can.

The last four months I've said myself a million times. I want to get back to normal. I'm tired of all this, how to get back to the other time when when it was before the pandemic and before the writings of for all the political foolishness and all of a sudden it hit me. God is sovereign and God predestined all the stuff that's going on. He doesn't mean for me to run from it remains for me to be a light during this time. You know that the light shines brightest when the dark is the darkest. It was Jesus who said let your light so shine among me and that Mia may see your good works and glorify the father which is in heaven. That's what David knew God called him to be a shepherd and so he was going to be a shepherd and do it to the very best of his ability and then he let God take care of what else was to Take Pl. in God's timing. David understood the truth of the life of the child of God. The journey is the destination.

David refused to sit back and be passive during that during this waiting time to be king. Hey, he was going to be diligent he was going to work hard. He was going to do the things that he could do in the name for the name of the Lord. During that time, and so during that time of his life. The Lord did some of the greatest victories that he ever experienced. Not after he had become king.

But while he was in training to be the king got four points I want to share with you today. Number one Saul's torment. Look at verse 14 to 15 now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him and saw the servant said to him, behold now a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you in first Samuel chapter 15 verse 26 after Saul had deliberately, intentionally disobeyed the Lord God's command. Samuel came to him and he spoke to him and he wanted to say to doing the said side because you have rejected the word of the Lord God has rejected you from being the king of Israel. And what did Saul do so just went right on as if nothing had happened. He been rejected by God to be the king but he would resign and he continued to be king, as if nothing had happened, but something preachers do that that they get tired of spiritual battles they say to themselves, it's easier to compromise than it is to fight so they just go through the motions so as not to ruffle anybody's feathers. They refused to preach against sin or even worse, I say I'll just accept what God rejects how I live my life and I will leave this church. But what the culture says instead about what God says in his word.

That's what I'll do. That's how I'll do it that way nobody will be offended, I'll be able to keep my retirement and my health insurance but that ministry will have no power will have no blessing of God live no joy and there will be no anointing nest was going on the Saul.

He's the king in name only. The anointing is gone. Richard Phillips said the following to all appearances the spiritual dismissal had little effect on the practical affairs of Saul and his kingdom guarded rejected solvents all remain king people today likewise tend to think that the spiritual arena has little influence over worldly matters. Such things as who is in charge and is getting ahead in life but Saul's experience reminds us that in fact the spiritual realm is primary over the material realm and that God spiritual arrangements will unfailingly determine earthly outcomes.

Saul was experiencing absolute torment.

The Lord spirit departed from Saul and that open the door for distressing harmful evil spirit from the Lord to attack Saul. That raises the question.

The distressing harmful evil spirit from the Lord is God capable of evil, the answer to that is no God is pure he is holy is his sin. Sin. Sin was totally sinless and he is incapable of sin but yet our God is sovereign, totally sovereign sovereign over the demonic moral sovereign over Satan as well as sovereign over people only give an example. What was the worst sin it was ever committed the worst sin was ever committed was a crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan took part in that Satan entered into Judas Iscariot led him to betray Jesus.

Then he started up the crowds and got them to cry out the pilot crucified Jesus crucified him or me ask you this. After Jesus was crucified and he was crucified was that the will of God and the answer that is absolutely it was the will of God because that was the substitutionary atonement that provided the way of our salvation by forgiving us of our sins for ever and ever and ever and ever broke the crucifixion was the only way that you and I could be saved in first Corinthians chapter 2 in verse nine.

The Scripture says if the rulers of this world. Speaking of the demonic realm.

If the rules of this world knew what they were doing they would never of crucified the Lord of glory.

And that's true God took their evil and he used it for his glory. So when Saul turned from God the Spirit of God departed from Saul and the spirit of God departed from Saul. There was a spiritual vacuum and in that spiritual vacuum, a demonic spirit came to attacks. I'll field him with a horrible depression. God does not have an evil spirit. But God is sovereign over all the evil spirits. It was Martin Luther who said that God is so sovereign that even the devil is God's devil Saul experience fits of depression.

We call it manic depression that drove him into fits of absolute rage. Saul knew that no longer was he going to be able to rely on God's presence, or God's guidance or God's direction. He knew that now he was on his own brothers and sisters.

The church of Jesus Christ needs terribly to understand that truth and needs terribly to understand that that without God we can do nothing.

A church can have effective programs. It can have well-financed advertising it can have polished musical performances and celebrity speakers with the Holy Spirit is not there, then we have nothing of spiritual value than you can take a little tiny church that has almost no worldly things that that churches faithfully ministering the word of God and ministering prayer administering the sacraments God can powerfully bless and incredible things can take place. It was Jesus who said, without me you can do nothing. Saul's depression was a consequence of this turning from God what a Saul's advisor said to Sawyer being tormented from a harmful spirit from from God.

You bring tormented this way. Now did he give them good counsel. I don't think so.

I think he gave you psychological councils to the spiritual counsel. He said this is what you need to do. You need to get some soothing music and that will help you deal with the with the depression that was a temporary answer, but what he needed was a spiritual got some spiritual guidance what Saul needed to hear. Was this said Saul you've sinned against God and the guilt that you're experiencing his guilt that is causing this depression on you and the only way that's going to change is for you to repent is for you to run back to God and come back to him and repent of your sins, and humble yourself before him in Zechariah chapter 1 verse three God said, returning to me and I will return to you. This was probably not bright counsel that he was Saul was getting from from his advisors.

I don't know if they were just that, spiritually ignorant, or if they were just so cowardly that it will not take the chance on on riling him up but here's where we see the unbelievable sovereign powerful hand of God form for the. The advisor encouraged him to get some soothing music and that would help them out temporarily, but that was not the primary reason it was done. The primary reason that this was done was to get David into the palace was to get David right there with Saul in order that he might have on-the-job training in order that he might learn the ins and the outs of what it took to be a king looks God never runs out of creative ways to carry out his plans .2 is David's opportunity. Look at verse 16 through 18. When our Lord now command your servants who were before you to seek out a man who is skillful and play in the liar and with a harmful spirit from God is upon you.

He will play it and you will be well.

Societal said to his servants provide for me. Amanda can play well and bring them to me.

One of the young man answered, behold, I've seen the son of Jesse, the Bethel might who is skillful in playing a man of valor, man-of-war, prudent speech and a man of good presence in the Lord is with him. Saul's judgment was David's opportunity.

One of the advisors said this about about David. He said he's a skillful musician, a man of valor warrior. He knows how to control his tongue.

He's handsome and most of all, the Lord is with us pretty good resume for a 17-year-old limit, and people listen. Don't neglect the small things in your life even if their problems even as their frustrating to you.

It was had Yahoo said don't despise the the day of small things, how important it is how important it is for us to know that God takes the small things are likely refer faithful in them uses it for our good and our strength and our maturity in his glory started seminary in New Orleans Baptist seminary right.

Not long after I finished my my college time and at that point in time I was way too spiritually immature to be going to seminary I did know the Bible very well. I was not theologically grounded. I was way too spiritually mature. I got down to New Orleans were just there for a few weeks and after a few weeks my sinuses are just going crazy. I went to the doctor. The doctor said well there's something here and they are New Orleans. You better just get back to North Carolina and so I went back to North Carolina and I was horribly frustrated. Lord, what are you doing, why did you let this happen. I got a job then is a supervisor associated grocers mutual. I joined Calvary Baptist Church during that time I was a Sunday school teacher during that time I started doing light preaching during that time I became a deacon and at your at the place where I was working to start a Bible study. Those five years may have been some of the most important years in my life. I needed that for maturity. I wouldn't trade the things that I learned during those five years for anything in this was going on with David. David is is building character or God's building character in David is David is caring for the sheep. So David learned much from his time in the pasture. But how would God get David onto the throne David never even met Saul or God had a plan and that plan was music. David will be called on to go and be with Saul and play the soothing music for him know whether or not other great musicians in Israel were there not more mature men that could've help solve in Israel will God put the salt in the advisors heart. God put this thought in his mind and he said I know I know God, David David would be perfect. David would, but what would be a young man whose child not feel intimidated by this all could live with peaceably while his incredible legacy. This one commentator said this, I never cease to be amazed at how perfectly God weaves his wheel together and listen carefully without our help.

Without our help.

God brings things together .3 David service.

Look at verse 19 through 21 therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, send me David, your son was with the sheep Jay-Z, David and Jesse took a donkey laden with Brandon Skinner line and a young goat sent them by David his son to solve.

David came to Saul and introduce service and Saul loving greatly and he became his armor bearer Jesse David's dad had thought long and hard about David's being anointed by the prophet Samuel.

I think he had some doubts he's thinking what you meant. Now Saul's not dead and David does know anything about politics, David's godly young man that he's not the son of Saul and it would seem like the son of Saul would be the heir to the throne and maybe stink into salable Samuels, an old man. Maybe this was just an act of senility maybe didn't really know what he's doing will always negative thoughts went right out the window when when all of a sudden there was a knock on Jesse's door.

It was a messenger from King Saul and the messenger said David is to come to be with the king to play music before him, and he wants them right now and all of a sudden all that pressure was right off of Jesse's shoulders and he went to kiss David goodbye and then he got some some bread, some wine and the goat and said here take these to King Saul is a gift you think of David's attitude here. Never wants to the cytosol. I will take your place.

Pale. That didn't happen. Never once did he pull rank on Saul, never, never once did he get jealous over Saul's position.

Never once did he act presumptuously.

You see, David had been anointed, but he was let God open all the doors. He was a man after God's own heart. So David walked to the king's presence. Saul had no idea who this young man was he did not know that with the person that was standing right before him was his successor, and David did mention it. David didn't want to mention it.

He was there for one purpose and that purpose was to help solve overcome his depression right .4 is David's gift. Look at verse 22 and 23 million then go back to verse 18. Look at the last part. There Saul sent to Jesse saying let David remain in my service free is found favor in my sight and whatever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul.

David took the liar and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well in the harmful spirit departed from them in verse 18. The last part in the Lord was with him. David went to the palace. He played this is harpist is liar, and his soothing music did not heal Saul, but it did refresh him for a temporary time it suited him, and it gave Saul a little bit of peace. This was some blessed relief or Saul, but it was the education and on-the-job training for young David. What trial what Saul truly needed was a heartrending repentance but his heart was so hardened against God that would even option, but perhaps the effects of Saul's hardened heart toward the Lord made a great impression on David think it did. I think David looked at Saul. He didn't say it out loud, but in his heart he was saying.

I do not want to be like him, so that later on in David's life. David was willing, I mean very willing to humble himself and repent of his sin. Psalm 32 after sin with Bathsheba.

David experienced a little of that torment of of guilt. Listen to what David said in Psalm 32 verses three through five. Don't you think about the difference between Saul and David. Saul sinned against the Lord and experience guilt and that guilt brought him remorse and that remorse led him to do nothing but David did something wrong and terribly sinned against God and he felt horrible guilt that led him not to remorse but to repent us and that repentance led him to run to God for forgiveness.

In verses three and four could've applied to both Saul and David.

Verse five only only applies to David listen to verse three and four when I Want My Bones Waxed Away through My Groaning All Day Long for Day and Night Your Hand Was Heavy upon Me. My Strength Was Dried up As by the Heat of Summer.

Listen to Verse Five, I Acknowledged My Sin to You, and I Did Not Cover My Iniquity. I Said I Will Confess My Transgressions, the Lord, and You Forgave the Iniquity of My Sin. I Got to Share This with You from Something Richard Phillips Said I Thought This Was Great Is That in the Meantime, David Was a Servant of God's Restraining Grace in Saul's Life. One Commentator Says.

Thus, David Was a Blessing to Saul and Thereby Also to Israel Because of David's Present Saul's Mind Was Not Immediately Wholly Disabled and Israel's Affairs Were Not Completely Thrown into Confusion. David Sets an Example for Believers Today Find Themselves in Service to a Difficult Employer or Responding to Troubled Parents Even When We Must Submit the Higher Authorities.

Christians Can Make a Great Difference Bringing Light into Darkness and Providing Salt to Preserve Life and Bring a Pleasant Flavor to Any Situation. Meanwhile, David Received the Education and the Wages of Sin and the Peril of Disobedience to the Lord along with Exposure to the Art of King Craft Is Practiced by Saul's Later Conduct Indicates That He Respected Saul and Learn the Whole Office of King in High Esteem. Christians Also Should Convey Respect to Those Who Are Placed by God in Authority over Us Seeking to Profit from Both Their Good and Bad Examples and to Prepare Ourselves for Later Service As the Lord May Be Pleased Employ Us. Verse 21 Says That the Lord Loves Love Saul Says That Saul Love David Greatly Saul of David Greatly Don't Read Too Much into That Just Means That Saul Looked on David Favorably That Saul Saw What David Was and Knew That He Was Helping Him and That Was Encouraging the Saul As We Later Not Only Called into to Be the One Who Would Play Music Point, but Also That He Would Be His Armor Bearer, but This Admiration Wasn't Too Heartfelt Because We Get over into the Very Next Chapter and We Get over into the Next Chapter Chapter 17 We See David Get Ready to Stand up to Fight against Goliath and Saul Starts Asking Questions. Who Is This AAs Is It What What's His Name, What Family Does He Come from Didn't Even Know It. David's Responsibility Here Is to Play Music to Refit to Refresh Saul's Troubled Soul and He Does That Is Got a Liar, like a Small Heart on the Last One of the World at All to Be Sharing with You about about Music Because I'm Not Very Good at Music My Favorite Kind of Music Is Just Country Gospel and 1/4 Church Every Sunday Morning I Listen Alan Jackson Singing I Love to Tell the Story. I Can't Read a Note of Music. I Can't Sing Worth a Hoot When We Were Back in in My House When I Was a Kid.

Only Music We Overheard Was My Dad Playing Records by Chet Atkins and Is on His Guitar, but I Know This Today When I Hear Meredith Oldham Play in the Heart. It Sues My Soul When She's Play in the Hands of God. It Does Something to My Soul. It Has the Exact Opposite Effect of Heavy Metal Music. I Hate That It Grates on My Nerves and Agitates Me. When I Hear Meredith Plan That Heart Clean God's Hands on That Heart Understand How God Could Use That in the Life of Saul to Refresh Him Only Say This, Who Wrote Half the Psalms in the over Half the Psalms in the Psalter Was David Who Was It That Inspired David to Write the Psalms.

It Was the Holy Spirit of God. You Think David Rosie, the Psalms When He Was a Teenager I Think He Did. I Think He Most Certainly Did, and I'm Wondering If While David's Playing the Lyre Playing the Harp.

I Wonder If He Was Singing in Some of the Psalms to Saul. I Wonder Maybe Psalm 40. This Is This, I Waited Patiently for the Lord for Inclined to Me and Heard My Cry.

He Drew Me up from the Pit of Destruction Out Of the Bottom. Mari Bob and Set My Feet upon a Rock Make in My Step. Secure He Put a New Song in My Mouth a Song of Praise to Our God.

Many Will See in Fear, Put Their Trust in the Lord Blessed Is the Man Who Makes the Lord's Trust in His David Saying the Psalms to the King Saul over and over Again. I Wonder Saul Didn't Just Jump Right in and Start Saying in the Psalms, along with David. If That's the Case. No Wonder His Heart Was Refreshed, David. Sweet Music Was Able to Soothe Saul's Troubled Soul for A While but I Tell You the Sweetest Music Ever Heard in This Troubled World in Which We Lived Is the Greatest Music the Sweetest Music Took Place on the Night That Jesus Christ Was Born with the Angel, Saying, Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace among Those in God's Will.

Please While Jesus Came to Forgive Our Sins by His Death on the Cross That Is the Sweetest Song We Will Ever Hear Me Ask You Something.

Who You like Are You like David Is Running to God Running for Forgiveness Running for Four.

The Fact That He Just Loves Them and Wants to Be with Him or You like Saul Running Away Just Not Loving Not Care about Not Caring about Them Only Thinking about Yourself in John Chapter 5 Verse 24 Jesus Said These Words, Whoever Hears My Word and Believes Him Who Sent Me Has Eternal Life. He Does Not Come in the Judgment, but Is Passed from Death to Life. What Is That That's the Gospel and That's the Sweetest Song You Will Ever Hear Us Pray Heavenly Father We Look at Our World Today and We See Things That Terribly Distress Us We See Young People Turning Away from God and the Church at an Alarmingly High Rate, We See College Professors with Socialist Marxist Velocities Feeling Filling Young Hearts of Lies and False Promises. We Beg You, Lord, to Squelch the Agendas of the Secular Humanistic Society Start Raising up Young People like David May Both Young and Old, and This Nation Turned to Jesus and Become People after God's Own Heart. May We Start Training up Psalm One Disciples Blessed Is the Man Who Walks Not in the Counsel of the Ungodly, nor Stands in the Way of Sinners, nor Sits in the Seat of the Scornful for His Delight Is in the Law of the Lord and in His Law Doth He Meditate Day and Night Materials.

Lord Help Us to Stand Courageously through the Persecution That's Coming. Help Us to Teach Our Kids and Grandkids at This Life Is Not All There Is to It.

This World Is Not Our Home. Help Us to Be Faithful Servants in a Never Forget That Jesus Wins 40 Is a Holy and Precious Name of Jesus That We Pray.

Amen