1 Samuel #30: an exposition of 1 Samuel 30:1-31. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 14, 2012.
Intro:
Have you ever said, “God will not put more on me than I can bear?” Well if you bought that notion I’d like to talk with you after the service I got some swamp land you might be interested in! My experience has been He regularly allows more to come my way than I can possibly bear and He does so because He loves me. He wants me to see my inadequacies so that I will be driven to His sufficiency. Not put more on me than “I” can bear? I can’t bear up under what He has commanded me to do let alone handle His commands and life as it comes. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” I’m already beyond my limits. Love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me? I don’t think so. Now, He will not place more on me than He can bear. He has promised to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory. He tells me to cast my cares on Him because He cares for me. This is important because life in this fallen, sinful world is filled with heartache and despair and being a child of God does grant immunity. The promise is we do not face it alone. The promise of Jesus was that “in this world we would have tribulation.” It’s a promise! There will be great struggle and tremendous hardship – count on it. But – “take heart I have overcome the world.”
David had dodged a bullet.
The Philistine kings wanted no part of David going into battle with them against Israel.
His integrity and his righteousness are intact.
He and his men were instructed to head home and set this one out.
After two days of marching, as they approached Ziklag, they saw the smoke rising from the ashes. They picked up the pace and rushed into the city only to find charred remains. Their families gone. Livestock gone. Possessions gone. God had delivered David. He took him out of the frying pan and placed him directly in the fire. Our text this evening is found in 1 Samuel chapter 30.
Text: 1 Samuel 30:1-31
This chapter serves to remind us that…
Thesis: As the people of God we are never promised a life free of hardship and trouble but we are assured that God’s grace is sufficient and each trial works ultimately to our good and His glory.
This is to be our perspective on life.
This is to guide how we approach the trials and struggles of our pilgrimage.
We are on our way home…we are not there yet.
There are five principles I want to note out of this text.
- Life’s troubles are often overwhelming. (30:1-6)
- God’s strength is sufficient for you. (30:6-9)
- God’s providential care is to be trusted. (30:9-15)
- God’s justice will prevail. (30:16-20)
- Grace proves to be decisive in everything.
Conclusion:
Grace must not be reduced to merely doctrine or to a theological concept. It must become a worldview. That thing that shapes, colors and interprets everything in our world. It was come to dominate our thinking. What did Paul ask the Corinthians? “What do you have that you did not receive?”
It is a worldview that makes everything different.