1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:02,639 Speaker 1: Well, we're gonna get to the message in just a moment, 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: but I wanted to make sure you knew about Elevation Nights. 3 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: It's gonna be amazing eight cities October twenty sixth through 4 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: November fourth. You got to go to Elevation Nights dot 5 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: com to see if we're coming to a city near you. 6 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: It's gonna be me, Elevation Worship, a few friends, and you. 7 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: I want to see you there. I want to see 8 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 1: you and everybody that you know there. Go to Elevation 9 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 1: Nights dot com. I can't wait to see you soon. 10 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: Here's the message. We are blessed, and I just have 11 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: one verse of scripture for you. Then then we'll take 12 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: a seat in a second, and I'm going to preach 13 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: today out of a passage that really has been my 14 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: life verse is First Samuel thirteen fourteen. But about six 15 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 1: months ago, Pastor Stephen stood in this pulpit any said 16 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: a word that made me see it differently. That verse 17 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: has been my life verse for sixteen plus years, but 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: one word made me see something that's always been there. 19 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: I just didn't have the potential to see it. And 20 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: I think that's gonna happen today. I think it's gonna 21 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: happen in a marriage. It's been seventeen years in motion, 22 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: but you've never seen the gift of your bride that 23 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: God wants you to see in her. It's gonna happen 24 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: in the blessing that He's given you. When you look 25 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: at everybody else, what they have makes you ungrateful for 26 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 1: what God's given you. You don't need something new, you 27 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: just need to see what you have differently. That's why 28 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: I'm excited to share this verse with you today. Those 29 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: that know me know that this is close to my heart, 30 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: and it's a verse A take with me wherever I go. 31 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: Verse Verse Samuel thirteen, Verse two says Saul chose three 32 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: thousand men from Israel. Two thousand were with him at 33 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: Micmash say mic Mesh and in the hill country of Bethel, 34 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: and a thousand worth Jonathan and Gibbia and Benjamin. The 35 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: rest of the men he sent back to their homes. So, Father, 36 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: we open up your word. Would you open up our 37 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: hearts and create an intersection that would allow your transformation 38 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: to happen in our hearts. We love you Jesus. Amen. Amen, 39 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: you guys can can have a seat and I grew 40 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: up one of five kids, and I grew up like 41 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: many guys, probably most kids. Up until about age seven 42 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: or eight, my dad was my hero. He everywhere he went, 43 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: I wanted to be with my dad. It was like 44 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: he was my hero, and so I just wanted to 45 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 1: go wherever he's going. I don't even care where you're going. 46 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: I'm just coming with dad. Let's go. And so I remember, gosh, 47 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: six seven, eight years old. We'd go to places and 48 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: he'd go inside, and I'd be out in the pickup truck. 49 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: We're in a farmtown in Minnesota. We'd be in the 50 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: pickup truck. I'd be out there for whoo, one person 51 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,079 Speaker 1: from Minnesota, Praise God. I'd be out in the pickup 52 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: truck for a while, and then he'd hop back in 53 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: the truck and we'd drive home. And he seemed much 54 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: happier when he got back in the pickup truck. He 55 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: was talking a lot. He was jovial, but he was 56 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: kind of swerving around a little bit. And then finally, 57 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: at age about eight, I don't remember the exact day, 58 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: but we stopped at this place called the Delroy. It 59 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: was a bar in Minnesota, and I remember sitting out 60 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: in the truck and it was like cold, and I'm like, 61 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: I wonder what Dad's doing. So I waited a couple hours, 62 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: and finally I snuck in through the back door and 63 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: I walk in and I see Jerry, the owner. He 64 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: kind of looks at me, and I remember his face, 65 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: and I saw my dad sitting at the end of 66 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: the bar, and I remember in that moment the gap 67 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: that was created in my heart because up until that 68 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: point he had only been my hero. But now I 69 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: saw his humanity, and that's the gap I want to 70 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: talk about today. And that gap is what's called disappointment. 71 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: This is a message for anybody who has been, is, 72 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: or will be dealing with the gap of disappointment. Disappointment 73 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: is an equal opportunity employer. It will enslave you based 74 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: upon your socioeconomic status, your zip code, your square footage. 75 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: It does not care because every one of us has 76 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: the gap of disappointment. He's always been my hero, but 77 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: now I see his humanity, and I gotta deal with 78 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: the gap. It's that gap that's created because you've lived life. 79 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: This is what I've expected, Lord, but this is what 80 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: I'm experiencing. It's the space of I thought we'd be 81 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: further along right now, but this is what we're dealing with. 82 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: I've been believing for the promises God, but now I'm 83 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 1: just picking up the broken pieces. You hope you'd be 84 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: married by now, and if your grandmother asked you one 85 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: more time, if you found somebody, you're gonna I love you, Grandma. 86 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: It's you have the surgery and they said you'd be 87 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 1: better right by now. But you're dealing with that gap. 88 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: Because that gap, here's the title for today. It's called 89 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: Filling the gap. Filling the gap, because that gap of disappointment, 90 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: something's going to grow in it. It is very much 91 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,799 Speaker 1: like your lawn, like your front yard. If you do nothing, 92 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: something will grow. Just because it's green doesn't mean it's good. 93 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: You don't need to do anything for weeds to grow. 94 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: And in the sinful nature of man, the seeds of 95 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: bitterness and defense have been sewed into our soul and 96 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: they don't need any help to grow. That's what I 97 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: want to talk about today. My assignment is to talk 98 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: about the gap. And in our story with In for Samuel, 99 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: you have a son named Jonathan and a dad named Saul. 100 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: Dad is the king of Israel and what's happened At 101 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 1: this point in chapter twelve, they'd had some small military victories. 102 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: So Dad and son divis a plan to keep the 103 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: momentum rolling. Hey, we're gonna keep these Philistines on the run. Boy, 104 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,719 Speaker 1: let's get it going. So they devise a plan. All right, Sault, 105 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 1: you're gonna take two thousand men and you're gonna go 106 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 1: to Mickmash, say Micmash. And then Jonathan's gonna take a thousand, 107 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: and he's gonna go to Giba. So they hatch a 108 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: plan like, all right, ready, break, let's go. Here's what 109 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: we're gonna do. Verses three and four says Jonathan attacked 110 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: the Philistine outpost at Geeba, and the Philistines heard about it. 111 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the whole land 112 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 1: and said, let the Hebrews hear. So all Israel heard 113 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: the news. Saul has attacked the Philistine outposts and anub 114 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines, and 115 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: the people were soming to join Somel. What what Dad see? 116 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 1: I think in this moment, Jonathan saw some of his 117 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: father's humanity. They devised the plant says, I'm gonna do this, 118 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: and you're gonna do that. The son goes and does this, 119 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: but God, his dad does not do that. And now 120 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: when Saul announces it to the nation, he says, all right, 121 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: let all of Israel hear Saul has attacked and it 122 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: says he had the trumpets phone. He's tooting his own horn. 123 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: He's taking credit for something he didn't even do. And 124 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: his son is looking like, Dad, you said you were 125 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: gonna do that, but you didn't do it. And now 126 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: he was looking at his father, going because of your indecision, 127 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: Because of your bad decision, we're all gonna have to 128 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: deal with the consequences of it. Isn't it amazing that 129 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: what choices the unintended consequences that can ripple in the 130 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: life of people. And I think that's what Jonathan is 131 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: dealing with in this situation. Because Saul's got two thousand 132 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: men and Jonathan has a thousand. Why can some people 133 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: do twice as much with half as much resource? Why 134 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: is it? That's the spirit of Jonathan. That's why I 135 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: love this guy. I'm going on record right now and 136 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: saying Jonathan is my favorite Bible character, and I want 137 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: to show you why, because your impact on this earth 138 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: is never determined by the size of your resource. It's 139 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 1: termed by the size of your obedience. Jonathan demonstrates, but Saul, 140 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: why did you do that, Saul? Because I think there's 141 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: a connection between disappointment and disobedience. And on top of that, 142 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: Samuel the Prophet had informed Saul just a few days earlier, Saul, 143 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: just wait till I get there to offer the offerings. 144 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: Just wait, don't don't pop the clutch, don't get started 145 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: on this thing early. And so but Dad struggles with disobedience, 146 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: and in verse eleven, Samuel the Prophet shows up on 147 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: the scene. The battle was supposed to be fought where 148 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: two thousand go this way, one thousand go this way. 149 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: But Saul didn't do the king did not do what 150 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: the king should have done. And now as a result, 151 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: the people of Israel see this whole thing happening because 152 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 1: because they became obnoxious, and all the Philistines they were like, 153 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: you just whooped the dog, baby, Because the feeling is like, oh, 154 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: you want to play like that, We're gonna show up 155 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: in force, it says. They assembled all of their troops 156 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: as numerous as the sands on this sea shore. And 157 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: now the Israelites, as a result of Saul's bad decision, 158 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: are staring at a situations. Oh snap, Philistines are coming 159 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: and we're all gonna die. That's what happens when the 160 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: leader sometimes makes bad choices. And now all of Israel 161 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: has to deal with the disappointment of an indecision from 162 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: their king. Samuel, the prophet shows up in verse LeMay says, 163 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: what have you done, asked Samuel. Saul replied, well, when 164 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: I saw the men were scattering and that you did 165 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: not come at the set time, and the Philistines were 166 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: assembling it at Mickmass, say Micmash, I thought, now the 167 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I 168 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 1: have not sought the Lord's favor, so I felt compelled 169 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 1: to offer the burnt offering. You've done a foolish thing, 170 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: Samuel said, you have not kept the command of the 171 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: Lord your God gave you. If you had, he would 172 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But 173 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: now your kingdom will not in door, and the Lord 174 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 1: has sought a man after his own heart and appointed 175 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: him ruler of the people. Because you have not kept 176 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: the Lord's command picture. Jonathan watching this scene unfold, He's 177 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: just witnessed his dad be disobedient and they didn't execute 178 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 1: the plan that they had worked out. Now Dad takes 179 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: credit for what he didn't even do, and now all 180 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: of Israel is being punished, and they're hiding in caves 181 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:33,439 Speaker 1: and thickets and in bushes. And now Samuel the prophets 182 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: up and says, because of your disobedience, you will never 183 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 1: be king again. And I've found one who's a man 184 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 1: after my own heart. Now Jonathan realizes my dad's done 185 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: all of this stuff, and now the kingdom will no 186 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: longer be in his hands because Jonathan was supposed to 187 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: be the second king, and your decisions feels like it 188 00:10:54,320 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: derailed my destiny. How about that disappointment. But before we start, 189 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: before we start jumping on the Saul's a bad guy bandwagon, 190 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: it's important that before you to understand the behavior, you 191 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: need to look at the backstory. It's really important. This 192 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: is a gap because what you put in that gap 193 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:18,839 Speaker 1: determines what it becomes. There's that gap of when you 194 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: don't understand what do you put in it. So with 195 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: my dad, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's several years ago, 196 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: and he passed away. Because when you're in the middle 197 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: of the disappointment, you never see it for what it is. 198 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: You only see it when you look back at it. 199 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: It's only on the other side, but one second on 200 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:39,959 Speaker 1: the other side. I don't want to look back at 201 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: it because I'm over it now. But if you don't 202 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: deal with it, the next time you see it, it's 203 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: just bigger. It's just bigger. That's what happens with this 204 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: gap of disappointment. So when I started asking people about 205 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: my father, they let me know he grew up on 206 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,680 Speaker 1: a farm in Minnesota, and he had an eighth grade 207 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: education because his his dad forced him to drop out 208 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 1: of school to work on the farm. It was an 209 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: alcoholic home. It was a lot of abuse going on. 210 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,439 Speaker 1: I always saw the forty three year old that was 211 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 1: sitting in the bar, but Grace allowed me to see 212 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,199 Speaker 1: the thirteen year old that was told you can't go 213 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,559 Speaker 1: to school anymore. And my heart started to be tender 214 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: for the thirteen year old, and it made sense of 215 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:25,719 Speaker 1: why when I was older, he would make me read 216 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: the instructions onto everything because he never felt smart, because 217 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: he forfeited his education because of somebody else's dysfunction. And 218 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: now the cycle was trying to be repeated in my 219 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: see that space of grace when you understand the backstory. 220 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: The backstory allows you to have some grace because in 221 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: that space, fill in the gap. It will either be 222 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: blessing or bitterness, your choice, and if you do nothing, 223 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: something will grow. And so when we look at Saul before, 224 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: because often when Saul has preached, he's like the poster 225 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: child for who you don't want to be. Don't be 226 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: like Saul. No, no, the goal is to not be 227 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: like somebody else, is to be like Jesus, and to 228 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 1: understand when you're like that person. Because here's the part 229 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: about Saul. Saul never wanted to be king of Israel. 230 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:17,839 Speaker 1: He did not want it. It was the last thing 231 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: from his mind. Because nation Israel looked around and says, WHOA, 232 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,160 Speaker 1: we want to be like all the other nations. We 233 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 1: want to be like the Kenites, the Hittites, of the Jebisides, 234 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 1: the Gurgashites. We want to be like everyel, So give 235 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: us a king. Isn't it amazing what happens when you 236 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:34,839 Speaker 1: start to use other people as your comparison for what 237 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: you want to become. That's what Nation Israel had, That's 238 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 1: what they were doing. You have God as your king, 239 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 1: but you want to settle for a human king. But 240 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,679 Speaker 1: the reason that they were pushed towards that was often 241 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: the religious system. Though So if you hop back to 242 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: chapter nine, if you want to do some more study 243 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: on this, Samuel the prophet is getting old. It says, 244 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: he's got a couple boys that are religious leaders, but 245 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: they're taking bribes. So Nation Israel is looking out and go, yo, Samuel, 246 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,319 Speaker 1: you're about to die anyway, and your kids are a 247 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 1: little wicked, so we don't know what's gonna happen beyond 248 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: it suggests give us a human just give us a king. 249 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: And so the last thing often God wants to do 250 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: is to give you what you want. And the worst 251 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: thing that could often happen is you get what you want, 252 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: and Nation Israel gets what they want. So when Shawl 253 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: shows up on the scene as a boy, as a 254 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: teenage boy in Tewod Samuel verse chapter nine, verse two, 255 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: it says, I just want to read this. I'm gonna 256 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: do it in my best like James Earl Jones voice, 257 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:43,000 Speaker 1: because picture this The only reason Saul got picked is 258 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: because of how we looked. It was like he was 259 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: being typecast for a role in a movie. Not established 260 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 1: as a king over a kingdom. This is an audition 261 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: and it says this kish had a son named Saul, 262 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: as handsome, a young man, as could be found anywhere, 263 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: and he was a head taller than anyone else. That's him. 264 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: You look the part. Let's take you. We all do it. 265 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: Some guy is watching church right now. It's eleven a m. Like, Lord, 266 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna hold out for missus. Right, I'm gonna hold 267 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: out for missus right eleven PM. You get a little lonely, 268 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 1: you start making making phone calls. You just start looking 269 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 1: for missus right now. So don't tell me you're not 270 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: like Saul. We all settle for the outward appearance. That's 271 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 1: what he did. And he was only picked because of 272 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: what he looked like. What a horrible place to be 273 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: to feel like you're being used for somebody else's game. 274 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: That's how the whole story was. Saul gets started. He 275 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: didn't want to be king. His father lost some donkeys, 276 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: so he sends his son Saul to go look for 277 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: the donkeys. Takes a servant with him. They spend three 278 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: days looking for the donkeys and they can't find the donkeys, 279 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: and he starts to stress, I bet my dad's gonna 280 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: be sad, or my dad's gonna be worried. I wonder 281 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: if he's gonna think him a failure. And he goes 282 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: to all these things. Finally they bounced into like and says, 283 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: wyn't you go talk to priest, talk to the preacher man. 284 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: He's like, huh, we haven't tried God, so let's try God. 285 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: Isn't it funny how Saul represents doing everything in her 286 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: own effort before we ever seek God's help. Don't tell 287 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: me you're not like Saul. Well often use God as 288 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: the last resort, not a first option. That's Saul. He says, all, 289 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 1: let's go to the preacher man. So they go to 290 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: the preacher man and they walk up and said, are 291 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 1: you the preacher man? He didn't even know what he saw. 292 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: He says, yes, your donkeys have been found, and Samuel 293 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: the prophet speaks something over teenage Saul. He says, here 294 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: is the one in all of the hopes of Israel. 295 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: Lie you will be king. And he's like, uh, I ain't, no, no, no, no, 296 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: I'm like from the tribe of Benjamin. We're like the 297 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: smallest tribe. My klan is the smallest plan and like 298 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 1: I'm just my family's like the worst family. There's no 299 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: way I belong. That's how it got started. Saw Samuel 300 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: the Prophet takes him to a dinner for all the leaders, 301 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: and he puts him at the head of the table, 302 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 1: and Saul's looking at it like, I don't belong here. 303 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: I don't want any of this. So when you picture Saul, 304 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,679 Speaker 1: don't just picture the king, picture the boy and allows 305 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: you to have grace in that space. Fill in the 306 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 1: gap with some of that grace. Next day, Samuel the 307 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 1: Prophet anoints him private anointing ceremony, sends him home. When 308 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,159 Speaker 1: Saul goes home, they ask him, what'd you do? What 309 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: we found the donkeys? But he never told anyone that 310 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: he was annointed to be king of Israel. He never 311 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:30,640 Speaker 1: mentioned one word of it to anybody. And then when 312 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:32,679 Speaker 1: Samuel the Prophet shows up some days later to do 313 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 1: a public anointing, he says, all right, nation Israel, you 314 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: wanted your king, let's pick him. Has all the tribes 315 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:40,479 Speaker 1: come forward, then all the families come forward, and then 316 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,719 Speaker 1: it's Kish's family and they're like, Saul could not be found. 317 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: He was hiding with the supplies. He didn't want to 318 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: be king. And the only reason they found him is 319 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: because he was tall. Said, they bring him and they 320 00:17:54,960 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: anoint him. And that's how Saul begins his reign, being 321 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,399 Speaker 1: put in a situation he never asked for and he 322 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 1: never wanted. And I think what started as a teenager 323 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:10,520 Speaker 1: was a tremendous amount of insecurity. Here he is a 324 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: guy who couldn't find couldn't find the donkeys, couldn't find 325 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: his donkey with both hands, and now he's made king 326 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:19,719 Speaker 1: of Israel. I mean, imagine, like some of you, you 327 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 1: know that feeling like I can't do it I've been 328 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: asked to do? How did I end up in this space? 329 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: I don't belong here? But what you do is you 330 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 1: fake it till you make it, but you feel like 331 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: you'll never make it. That's Saul represents doing everything in 332 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,120 Speaker 1: her own strength and in her own power. But what 333 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 1: you put in that space determines what it becomes. You're 334 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 1: at work, or you're at the grocery store and somebody 335 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: you know walks by you and they don't even acknowledge you. 336 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: I think you put one of two things in that space, 337 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: insecurity or offence. Insecurity like, oh did I do something wrong? 338 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:55,879 Speaker 1: Oh my god? Should I do something wrong? Or offense? 339 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 1: What's wrong with them? Think they're better than me? No, 340 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: their cat just died. It has nothing to do with you. 341 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: But why do I always put myself in the middle 342 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,640 Speaker 1: of the equation. It's because I'm driven by insecurity, because 343 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: I'm a lot like Saul. Turns out, there's a little 344 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: bit of saw in all of us. But what you 345 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:16,880 Speaker 1: put in that gap determines what it becomes. I remember 346 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:18,679 Speaker 1: my wife and I we went on a cruise, probably 347 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:20,479 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago. I loved it. I'll never 348 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: get her back on a cruise ship ever again. I 349 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:25,159 Speaker 1: could go on a cruise five times a year. She 350 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: will never set foot in another boat. The first night 351 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: we were there, I go down to the restaurant because 352 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:32,880 Speaker 1: I need to make a reservation, and I'm in line 353 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: to talk to the matre d right in front of 354 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: me as an elderly couple. Professional cruisers like live life 355 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: on a cruise ship. Long line behind me and up 356 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 1: talking to the matre d as a man who's taking 357 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 1: a very long time. And the couple in front of 358 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 1: me is using all kinds of colorful language that would 359 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: make a sailor blush, and they were entitled to make 360 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: their reservation at any time, and they were letting everybody 361 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 1: know their displeasure with colorful Well. I can't ignore that stuff, 362 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: so I'm like, what do I do? So I tapped 363 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: him on the shoulder, said I'm sorry you probably didn't 364 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: know this, but that man's taking a long time because 365 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,200 Speaker 1: he's on this cruise ship with his wife and she's 366 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 1: terminally ill with cancer, and he's planning their last meal 367 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:20,439 Speaker 1: together so that every detail would be accounted for. I 368 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: just thought you might want to know that. And they 369 00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: looked at each other like we're horrible people. Amazing what 370 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: a little bit of understanding does. Now, in full disclosure, 371 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: I made that story up and I never told them 372 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: it's a ray habline. But in our it's amazing what 373 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: a little bit of understanding does, a little bit of 374 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: grace changes the way you see everything. Maybe you walked 375 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: in seeing a fence for somebody, but God will give 376 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 1: you grace to see them as a thirteen year old, 377 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:01,440 Speaker 1: not a forty three year old. And in this story, 378 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:06,439 Speaker 1: when Saul, when Samuel shows up on the scene in 379 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: verse eleven, he says to him, what have you done, 380 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,199 Speaker 1: asked Samuel, Saw said, well, when I saw that the 381 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: men were scattering, and that you did not come at 382 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: the set time, the Philistines were assembling at mic Mess, say, Micmash, 383 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: let me show you what's going on in this scene. 384 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:23,640 Speaker 1: I want to show you, Chris, I need your help. 385 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 1: Come stand at the top. What's your name right there? 386 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: Come here? Yeah, you you come on at the top 387 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: of the steps. So let me show you what's happening 388 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: right here. Go to the top of the steps. Your 389 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: guys are gonna be my philistines. Say, hey, philistines, some 390 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: good looking philistines right here. So what happens, Philistine is 391 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: at the top of a mountain and we're Saul and 392 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: everybody's else sat there down at the bottom. And what 393 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: you have is a positional disadvantage that Saul is staring 394 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: up at the Philistines and he's going, oh snap, Because 395 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,720 Speaker 1: now when it says in verse eleven, when I saw 396 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:57,919 Speaker 1: the Philistines assembling at Micmash, he's reminded of what he 397 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 1: should have done something with days earlier. If he would 398 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:03,199 Speaker 1: have handle Mick Mash the first time around, he wouldn't 399 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,360 Speaker 1: be seeing a second time visit. And he is reminded 400 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: of what he should have done, and now he's staring 401 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: at what he should have done with regret. Now, let's 402 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 1: watch what Saul puts in this gap right here is fascinating. 403 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: Give me verse eleven. It says, when I saw that 404 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: the men were scattering and that you did not come, 405 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 1: and the philistines, he is filling the space with excuses. 406 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: Insecurity always expresses itself as excuses. It's the man they 407 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 1: were leaving. And then you preach a man you didn't 408 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:41,399 Speaker 1: show up when you're supposed to. And then the enemy 409 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,359 Speaker 1: was doing all this stuff and he could not take 410 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:45,919 Speaker 1: any blame for it. Why because he's a twelve year 411 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: old little boy. He's living in the same insecurity that's 412 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: plagued him his whole life, and because he never dealt 413 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:55,200 Speaker 1: with it. Now it's so big, he can't avoid it. 414 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 1: Now it's so big, everybody has to see it. And 415 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 1: what happens often when a man has a laural bankruptcy 416 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,359 Speaker 1: at age forty five, it's a thought that he started 417 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: with at age fifteen that he never dealt with, and 418 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: he buried it, and he buried it, and he buried 419 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:09,639 Speaker 1: it and he buried it. And now it gets to 420 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: the point that everybody can see it because this is it, 421 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: This is the Philistines. And I wonder if God would 422 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: give you the gift of remembering what you say, because 423 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 1: some of you are living life one excuse at a time, 424 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: and it becomes such a part of your language you 425 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,719 Speaker 1: can't even distinguish with it. And every time you come 426 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 1: to this gap and your insecurity is exposed, you fill 427 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,800 Speaker 1: it with excuse. You fill it with excuse, You fill 428 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 1: it with excuse, and insecurity is a weapon of the enemy, 429 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,119 Speaker 1: meant to intimidate you. And that's what's happening in this 430 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: scene right now. Can you think of the battles you've 431 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: come to that you've run from, because whatever you run from, 432 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:50,400 Speaker 1: you recreate and you force future generations to deal with it. 433 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: That's what happens when you come to this gap right here, 434 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: this gap, this is this is it right here. But 435 00:23:56,720 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: it didn't start in that moment. It started when he 436 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: was a teenage boy at the table that he didn't 437 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: not feel like he belonged at so the insecurity you're 438 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 1: dealing with didn't start. Now, it's just being expressed in 439 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: a bigger way. Now, listen to the language of your heart, 440 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 1: because some of us will say, well, that's just the 441 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: way God made me. Why are you blaming your dysfunction 442 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: on God's design. He don't make junk. He makes great things. 443 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,639 Speaker 1: He formed you, He fashioned you. Quit excusing it and 444 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: blaming God for your dysfunction. No, this gap, this gap 445 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: he didn't know how to handle, so he retreated. Thank you, Philistines. 446 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 1: You guys did a phenomenal job. Give it up for 447 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: our Philistines. Yeah, you did. But that's when you think 448 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:51,400 Speaker 1: of saul. I want you to think of insecurity. Let 449 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 1: me illustrate it like this. Let me let me take 450 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 1: out my phone, let me let's do this. I want 451 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: to I want to take a I'm wanna take a salfie. 452 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 1: You know, salfie. What's all about me? Jesus? I mean, 453 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:14,679 Speaker 1: so let's take a let's take a salfee, I mean 454 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: a selfie. So everybody smile if you're in the room. 455 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: Why so when I post that later, who are you 456 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: gonna look for yourself? We're all narcissistic, We all start 457 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: with iye, but the grace of God allows you to 458 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: move beyond it. When you're living according to the pattern 459 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:40,159 Speaker 1: of salt, you get stuck with iye every time. And 460 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: it's not because you don't care, it's just all you know. 461 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: That's the thing about insecurity. But the grace of God 462 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 1: allows you to move beyond it. We all start with 463 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:56,680 Speaker 1: I just don't stop there, Just don't stop there. That's 464 00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: what God wants you to here today. And Jonathan hears 465 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: that Samuel has issued an edict that says, Saul, you're 466 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: no longer the king. I've chosen a man who's after 467 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:14,720 Speaker 1: my own heart. God says, that's David. So that's the 468 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: first mention we get of this little farm boy who's 469 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:21,400 Speaker 1: tending the back forty well. One king is being rejected, 470 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,639 Speaker 1: another king is being selected, and in between both of 471 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 1: those is this guy named Jonathan. Because in reality, I 472 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: don't relate to I relate to Jonathan and David, but 473 00:26:30,359 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 1: I don't relate to Jonathan and David because Jonathan represents 474 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:36,199 Speaker 1: this guy who's tall and handsome. I don't know what 475 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:38,679 Speaker 1: the camera looks like. I'm five foot seven standing on 476 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: something like. I am not tall handsome. There's two people 477 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: in this world wh would say I'm handsome, my mom 478 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:48,719 Speaker 1: and my wife. That's really it. I have never been 479 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:50,880 Speaker 1: felt like I've been picked first by anybody, so that's 480 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 1: hard for me to relate to Saul. Now, David's a 481 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:55,760 Speaker 1: man who's after God's own heart. He's picked by God. 482 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 1: Like I don't walk hond most days go like I 483 00:26:57,640 --> 00:26:59,439 Speaker 1: feel like I'm picked by God. I don't feel like 484 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: the I'm somewhere in between it. And that's why I 485 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:03,920 Speaker 1: love Jonathan because he represents this space that's between it, 486 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:07,160 Speaker 1: Because in some way he could have said, my destiny's 487 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 1: been derailed because of my dad's decisions, but it wasn't derailed, 488 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: it was redirected. That's why I love this guy, because 489 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: of the obedience he walks with. And David enters the 490 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: scene and now, Saul, I'm sorry. Jonathan would end up 491 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: honoring his father through the rest of his life and 492 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:29,960 Speaker 1: serving David. Dad would get all shades of crazy like 493 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 1: Dad would go through jealous fits of rage and anger, 494 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: and he even tried to kill David multiple times, tried 495 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 1: to kill his own son once, and yet he still 496 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: remained in a space that honored him. That's hard people. 497 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: That's why I love Jonathan. But he built this relationship 498 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: with David that would be force. So I want to 499 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 1: share one verse that kind of shows the relationship that 500 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: they developed. Because David would go on to be the king, 501 00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: Jonathan would end up submitting to him and serving him, 502 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 1: even though he should have been the next king. He's 503 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 1: serving the one that he should have been king over Haus. 504 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:08,400 Speaker 1: He realized there's a greater agenda at store, and it's 505 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: not about me. I don't think Jonathan ever took a selfie. 506 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: I think he took a groupie. That's a bad one, 507 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:24,440 Speaker 1: I know. But in First Samuel, chapter twenty, it says 508 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 1: this because this is at a moment that it's a 509 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: tenuous moment in the story. Saul's tried to kill David 510 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,359 Speaker 1: a couple times, and Jonathan strikes this relationship with him. 511 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 1: He says, but if my father in sends to harm you, 512 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 1: may the Lord deal with Jonathan be it ever so severely. 513 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 1: If I do not let you know and send you 514 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: away in peace, may the Lord your God be with 515 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: you as he has been with my father David. But 516 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: show me unfailing kindness, like the Lord's kindness as long 517 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: as you live, so that I may not be killed, 518 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 1: And do not cut off your kindness from your family, 519 00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 1: not even when the Lord has cut off every one 520 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: of David's enemies from the face of the earth. Because 521 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: what Jonathan realizes is that like every other nation, anytime 522 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: you would have a new king, that new king would 523 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 1: kill the entire bloodline of the previous king. It would 524 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 1: could be completely blotted out, so that there would be 525 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 1: no chance of anybody coming back trying to usurp the 526 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: authority of the throne. And David knows what's about to happen, 527 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: and he's saying, would you remember my family? And he 528 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: makes this covenant with him, and then the story goes 529 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 1: on because in the scene of chapter thirteen, it gets 530 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: so crazy that all the people are hiding in thickets, 531 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: in caves and in bushes. Now Jonathan sees his dad 532 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: practicing witchcraft. He's given completely up on the battle, and 533 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:46,800 Speaker 1: he's doing whatever he can in his own human efforts 534 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:49,120 Speaker 1: to hold on to what he's already lost, and he's 535 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 1: looking hero on, going this is ridiculous. I can't believe 536 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: we're living like this. What have we become? Nation Israel? 537 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 1: And it comes to this. This is the verse that 538 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 1: gets me. This is what I started to see. Twenty 539 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: three of chapter thirteen. It says, now a detachment of 540 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: Philistines had gone out from the pass at micmash say, mcmash, 541 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: are you kidding me? The thing that his dad avoided 542 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: multiple times now is being stacked with more of the enemy. 543 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 1: And he's looking at what should have been done with it, Dad, 544 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: You should have done something with it by right now. 545 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: And he sees micmash and micmash is this place of 546 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 1: his biggest disappointment. Where's your mcmash? An unnamed enemy will 547 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: never be defeated. And what Jonathan demonstrates for us is 548 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 1: what we need to do with that gap. Let me 549 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: show you what the scripture shows here, give me give 550 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: me fourteen, verse one, it says, one day Jonathan, son 551 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: of Saul, said to the young arm bear, come, let's 552 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:51,560 Speaker 1: go over the outpost of Philistines on to the outpost, 553 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: the Philistine outpost on the other side. But he did 554 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: not tell his father, Hey, Philistines, come back up there again. 555 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 1: So what you see with Jonathan is staring at a 556 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,720 Speaker 1: situation at his father never dealt with. This is called 557 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: generational sin. This is what it is. And when one 558 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 1: generation doesn't put in the gap what God wants to be, 559 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 1: it is handed to the next generation. And now Jonathan 560 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 1: is staring at a situation he never chose, but he 561 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:29,600 Speaker 1: knows he has to go towards what his father retreated from. 562 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: He's going to go towards and the beauty of the 563 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,560 Speaker 1: scripture says he did not tell his father, He did 564 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: not post it on Instagram, he did not put it 565 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: on Facebook. He did not call anybody and complain about 566 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 1: his dad. Because freedom will never be found through your 567 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 1: father's voice. It will always be free your heavenly father's hands. 568 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: The disappointment came from his father, but it would not 569 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 1: be resolved through his father. And you keep waiting for 570 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 1: that person that disappointed you to say something with their mouth. 571 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 1: Healing will come from the hand of your God, not 572 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 1: the voice of your earthly person. But he's got this gap, 573 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: and he's like, oh snap, I gotta do something about this. 574 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 1: He says, One day, how about today be the day 575 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 1: we deal with that disappointment. I love those two words together. 576 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: One day, how about this ordinary Sunday that we start 577 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 1: dealing with the disappointment. The thing you've been running from 578 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 1: the thing you've been avoiding, the thing you've been burying. 579 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: God is saying, right now, this is the day that 580 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: we're gonna deal with your micmash. It is time that 581 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 1: you face your micmash. And he looks around. He says, 582 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:34,480 Speaker 1: I can't have everybody be a part of this, but 583 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:36,760 Speaker 1: I just need one person. I need an armor bearer. 584 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: Come here, Corbin. He just got He says, one person. 585 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:42,760 Speaker 1: This is my son, Corbin. He just needed one person. 586 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 1: That's all he needed. I think what he demonstrates is 587 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 1: this idea of community and accountability. It's too easy to 588 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 1: walk away from that. You only know by yourself. And 589 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 1: he says, if I tell you, I'll probably see it through. 590 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,280 Speaker 1: That's why you need somebody to have your back, who 591 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 1: has your back, who has God put in your life 592 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 1: that you need to bring closer. And he said, come on, 593 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 1: let's go, let's go. Let's go. You see them? Yeah, yeah, 594 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 1: give me give me Verse verse one again fourteen one 595 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: one day, one day, Jonathan, son of Saul said to 596 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:21,760 Speaker 1: his young arm bearer, come let's go over to the 597 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:23,600 Speaker 1: outposts on the other side. But he did not tell 598 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: his father give me. Verse six Jonathan, let's go a posts, 599 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 1: and he says, perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. 600 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 1: Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many 601 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: or by few. Because now he's got this gap, He's like, 602 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:43,720 Speaker 1: let's go, let's take them. We can't live like this anymore. 603 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 1: And the best I can give you is perhaps perhaps 604 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 1: we might die. Perhaps in my work, what we often 605 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 1: want God to put in the gap is the outcome. 606 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 1: What Jonathan demonstrates this is he puts in his obedience. 607 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:09,360 Speaker 1: That's the difference. That's the difference. Perhaps I don't know 608 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: how it's gonna work out. God's job is the outcome. 609 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 1: Our job is the obedience. Let's go. I don't know 610 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: how it's gonna work. I don't know what's gonna happen, 611 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:18,879 Speaker 1: but we're gonna go take him. We're gonna go get 612 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 1: him because we can't live like this any longer. And 613 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:26,720 Speaker 1: he chooses to close the gap. But in this space, 614 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:32,280 Speaker 1: not all disappointments are created equal, because what I realize 615 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 1: is now is a dad. I realize my biggest disappointments 616 00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:41,959 Speaker 1: are when my son sees my humanity and my insecurity 617 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:49,799 Speaker 1: forces him to feel like it's his fault. That's the part. 618 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:54,719 Speaker 1: That's where I relate the soul, because sometimes the disappointment 619 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 1: is so big you just want to hide because you 620 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,359 Speaker 1: can't even look at yourself. Now, for me, as a dad, 621 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: when I find moments, I gotta let the grace of 622 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 1: God get in that space. The grace of God allows 623 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 1: me to separate what I did from who I am. 624 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:09,160 Speaker 1: You made a bad decision as a dad, but that 625 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,240 Speaker 1: doesn't mean you're a bad dad. That's grace, y'all. That's grace. 626 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: That's grace. Grace. Grace doesn't excuse the behavior. It just 627 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,600 Speaker 1: helps you know the backstory. Grace allows you to see 628 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:28,919 Speaker 1: who God says you are in that moment. Then grace 629 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:33,319 Speaker 1: also allows you to say, son, I'm sorry, Would you 630 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,239 Speaker 1: forgive me? That's my fault, You had nothing to do 631 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:45,240 Speaker 1: with it. That's grace. You want to cut off generational sin, grace, grace, grace, 632 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: it's obedience. Grace is not just a flowery word. It's 633 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 1: an action. It's an empowerment to step into a situation. 634 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 1: But then there's a whole other level of grace. This 635 00:35:54,840 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: is let me share my thorns with you, because if 636 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: I show you my thorns, maybe you won't have to 637 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:06,680 Speaker 1: fight them. But when you hide the thorns, you force 638 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: the next generation to face the enemy that you were 639 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: intimidated by. What are you putting in the gap? Now, 640 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 1: what's amazing about this story is let's go. Let's go 641 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,960 Speaker 1: take them. Come on, let's Philistines. They're big, but we 642 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:23,960 Speaker 1: get them. There's thirty to forty fighting men, all with 643 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 1: swords and spears, and they're at a strategic advantage at 644 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 1: the top of the hill. But we can get them. 645 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:33,720 Speaker 1: Let's go, let's do it. Is only by God, because 646 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,240 Speaker 1: what happens is they would ascend the hill, they would 647 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:39,600 Speaker 1: overthrow these thirty to forty people. In all of nation 648 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:41,520 Speaker 1: and Israel would see the battle and they would come 649 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:43,799 Speaker 1: out of hiding. Do you know that your micmesh is 650 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:48,960 Speaker 1: somebody else's miracle? Your micmash is somebody else's miracle. Thank you, 651 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 1: armor bearer, Thank you Philistines. That's the thing about your 652 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: micmash is as you move towards it, people are watching you. 653 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:03,800 Speaker 1: In this scene, Jonathan and his armor bearer, two people 654 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:06,120 Speaker 1: that should not have been in that place end up 655 00:37:06,160 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 1: doing something that they should not have had to do 656 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:10,399 Speaker 1: because of their father's disobedience. But they chose to face 657 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:13,319 Speaker 1: it in all of Nation Israel. Because here's the key 658 00:37:13,400 --> 00:37:17,520 Speaker 1: language of David. He says, perhaps the Lord will act 659 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 1: in our behalf. The key word for Saul was I Jonathan, 660 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:31,040 Speaker 1: it was our. There was a very present tense for 661 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 1: hour because in that moment Jonathan meant, perhaps armor bearer, 662 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:39,400 Speaker 1: you and me, perhaps we might not die. But then 663 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:44,360 Speaker 1: there's also the scene of perhaps Nation Israel would be saved. 664 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:50,319 Speaker 1: But I also think there's a distant thought in Jonathan's 665 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:53,919 Speaker 1: heart because as he's going up the hill, he's also 666 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:59,440 Speaker 1: a father himself. It's one thing to experience disappointment as 667 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:02,560 Speaker 1: a son. It's a whole other thing to experience the 668 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:09,680 Speaker 1: disappointment of your son. And David would go on to 669 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:14,680 Speaker 1: become king. Jonathan would die in battle some years after 670 00:38:14,719 --> 00:38:18,200 Speaker 1: this with his father. How he could keep serving his 671 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 1: father is a bit of a mystery to me. That's 672 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:24,560 Speaker 1: why he's my favorite Bible story. I'm still trying to 673 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:26,359 Speaker 1: uncover what God would want me to see of how 674 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:30,800 Speaker 1: he could serve underneath the wicked Dad and honor him 675 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 1: and yet still be loyal to David. I want to 676 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:35,279 Speaker 1: live that life. I want to stand in that gap 677 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:39,920 Speaker 1: and walk in that tens, but Jonathan would pass away 678 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:44,360 Speaker 1: David would be king, and some thirty years after this story, 679 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:48,880 Speaker 1: the whole kingdom has been united. Peace is finally resting 680 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:51,760 Speaker 1: in the land, and David is king. And God prompts 681 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:58,880 Speaker 1: David's heart one day and in Second Samuel, this is 682 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:04,399 Speaker 1: some thirty years after this battle. At mcmash two Samuel nine, 683 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 1: Verse one, David asked, is there anyone left of the 684 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:13,040 Speaker 1: House of Saul to whom I can show kindness? For 685 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:19,719 Speaker 1: Jonathan's sake? He remembers back to his obedient servant Jonathan, 686 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: and God prompts his heart to say, is there anybody 687 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,920 Speaker 1: that I could show kindness to? Because Saul represents man's 688 00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:35,400 Speaker 1: best effort. David is God's perfect king. He is a 689 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 1: foreshadowing of a Messiah. He is a forefather to Jesus. 690 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:43,719 Speaker 1: He represents Christ. He represents what he would be when 691 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:47,320 Speaker 1: he would come one day, because like all the other nations, 692 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:52,640 Speaker 1: all the family bloodlines should have been wiped out. But God, 693 00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:58,600 Speaker 1: but David, he remembers, and in verse three one of 694 00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:02,120 Speaker 1: his servants says, there is still a son of Jonathan, 695 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:07,160 Speaker 1: but he's lame in both feet, and then the Second 696 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:11,640 Speaker 1: Samuel nine verses six and seven says, when Bfibischef, that's 697 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 1: the son of Jonathan, miss Fibischef is he's a grown man, 698 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,840 Speaker 1: he's got his own kids. At this point, he was 699 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:21,880 Speaker 1: living outside of the Promised Land for fear that he 700 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:25,840 Speaker 1: would be killed. So he's been hiding his whole life. 701 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 1: Choices of consequences, and sometimes it causes people to go 702 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:36,000 Speaker 1: out into hiding for decades. But God, but God, but David. 703 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 1: David remembers my son, my friend Jonathan. Oh yeah, I 704 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:47,279 Speaker 1: made this covenant with him to show kindness. When Maphibethus Maphibieth, 705 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:49,600 Speaker 1: son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, 706 00:40:49,880 --> 00:40:53,759 Speaker 1: he bowed down to pay him honor. He wasn't sure 707 00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:55,920 Speaker 1: if he would be killed at that point or what 708 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,839 Speaker 1: was about to happen, because again all the other nations, 709 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:01,000 Speaker 1: you'd kill all those people. And he might have been 710 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:04,320 Speaker 1: wondering as David only calling me because he needs to 711 00:41:04,400 --> 00:41:10,680 Speaker 1: kill me. But God, but David, don't be afraid, David 712 00:41:10,719 --> 00:41:14,520 Speaker 1: said to him, for I will surely show you kindness 713 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:18,560 Speaker 1: for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will 714 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:23,040 Speaker 1: restore to you all the land that belonged to your 715 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:27,280 Speaker 1: great to your grandfather's Saul, and you will always eat 716 00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 1: at my table, the table that Saul never felt like 717 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:36,919 Speaker 1: he belonged at the table where he didn't see how 718 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:40,759 Speaker 1: he fit in. Because in our own effort, we try 719 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:43,680 Speaker 1: to prove that we belong at the table. We try 720 00:41:43,719 --> 00:41:45,560 Speaker 1: to show that we deserve a seat at the table. 721 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:48,640 Speaker 1: Some of us are going through life living in the flesh. 722 00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:50,759 Speaker 1: The spirit of Saul is trying to show you I 723 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:55,880 Speaker 1: deserve it. But God, but David representing no, it is 724 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:58,959 Speaker 1: not based upon anything you've done. Is based upon who 725 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:07,720 Speaker 1: I Yeah and the Phibist. You will have everything restored 726 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:13,440 Speaker 1: to you. Everything the enemy stole everything, your grandfather forfeited, 727 00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:16,560 Speaker 1: everything you thought you lost out on. I will restore 728 00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:18,960 Speaker 1: it to you, and you will always have a seat 729 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:22,160 Speaker 1: at my table. Map phibis chef because I am good 730 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:26,000 Speaker 1: and I am showing you kindness. Because Jonathan stood in 731 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 1: that gap, and he didn't make it be about me 732 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:33,480 Speaker 1: or I, but he made it be about our Maybe, 733 00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:37,080 Speaker 1: just maybe God, your grace would shine upon my son 734 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:45,000 Speaker 1: one day. Stand up at all of our locations. The 735 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:49,239 Speaker 1: presence of the Lord is here because there was a 736 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:51,279 Speaker 1: gap that was created between us and God, and that 737 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:55,840 Speaker 1: was sin. And then the same way Jonathan inserted obedience 738 00:42:55,880 --> 00:43:00,279 Speaker 1: into it. That's what Jesus did. He inserted himself into 739 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 1: that gap and he filled it with his precious blood 740 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:04,920 Speaker 1: so that you and I would be forgiven, so that 741 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:06,840 Speaker 1: you and I could be restored, so that you and 742 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:08,920 Speaker 1: I could have a seat at the table. Why are 743 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:11,239 Speaker 1: we settling for crumbs that fall to the floor when 744 00:43:11,239 --> 00:43:13,319 Speaker 1: God has given us a seat at the table with him. 745 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:20,560 Speaker 1: We are seated in heavenly realms and right now at 746 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:22,560 Speaker 1: all of our locations and people watching around the world, 747 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:25,680 Speaker 1: someone needs to begin a relationship with Jesus. God has 748 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:28,760 Speaker 1: made you wear in this moment that you've been trying 749 00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:33,360 Speaker 1: to prove your worth through your work, through your own efforts. 750 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:35,799 Speaker 1: You're trying to show that you deserve a seat at 751 00:43:35,840 --> 00:43:40,520 Speaker 1: the table. That's why Saul didn't work, because it can't 752 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:43,480 Speaker 1: be by the flesh. It can only be by the spirit. 753 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,280 Speaker 1: And if you need to begin a relationship with Jesus, 754 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:50,000 Speaker 1: if you're becoming aware that his grace filled that gap 755 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:52,320 Speaker 1: so that you could have a seat at the table, 756 00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:54,359 Speaker 1: this moment is for you and of all of our 757 00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:56,120 Speaker 1: locations would you buy your heads and would you close 758 00:43:56,120 --> 00:43:58,479 Speaker 1: your eyes and with everybody online joining me in faith 759 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,880 Speaker 1: right now, if you need to begin this relationship with Jesus, 760 00:44:01,880 --> 00:44:04,120 Speaker 1: I'm going to lead us in a prayer as we 761 00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:06,000 Speaker 1: say these words with your mouth. If you believe it 762 00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:08,960 Speaker 1: in your heart, God will hear you. He will forgive you, 763 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:11,759 Speaker 1: and he will restore you, and he will give you 764 00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:15,080 Speaker 1: a seat at the table, calling you son, calling you daughter, 765 00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:18,759 Speaker 1: calling you forgiven, not labeling you by your behavior, but 766 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 1: based upon who he says you are. That's the God 767 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:25,200 Speaker 1: that we serve. So pray with me out loud, church family. 768 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:30,320 Speaker 1: I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God 769 00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:34,560 Speaker 1: who died on the cross and rose from the grave 770 00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:39,800 Speaker 1: to forgive me of my sins. I give you my life, 771 00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:43,279 Speaker 1: I give you my sin, I give you my shame. 772 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:49,560 Speaker 1: Forgive me, and I'll spend my life following you with 773 00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:51,759 Speaker 1: your head still bowed and your eyes still closed. If 774 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:53,640 Speaker 1: you displace your faith in Jesus, I'm going to count 775 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:56,759 Speaker 1: the three when I get there, without hesitation, boldly shoot 776 00:44:56,800 --> 00:44:59,799 Speaker 1: your hand into the air. One, two, three, shoot your 777 00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:03,040 Speaker 1: hand up, Shoot it up, keep it up, hyeh online, 778 00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:05,640 Speaker 1: drop it in the chat. If you just made that 779 00:45:05,719 --> 00:45:09,359 Speaker 1: decision for Jesus, come on, let us know we're celebrating 780 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:13,760 Speaker 1: with you. Come on, church family, let's celebrate the family 781 00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:17,680 Speaker 1: of God. Well, if you enjoyed today's podcast, there are 782 00:45:17,680 --> 00:45:19,560 Speaker 1: a couple of things I'd love for you to do. 783 00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:24,040 Speaker 1: Make sure to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. You 784 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:26,480 Speaker 1: can also help us reach others by investing today at 785 00:45:26,520 --> 00:45:30,480 Speaker 1: Elevationchurch dot org, slash give and thanks again for joining 786 00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:32,160 Speaker 1: us on the Elevation Podcast.