I Shall Now Perish One Day By The Hand Of Saul

Temple Baptist Church - 1-11-2008

1 Samuel 26:6-27:1

Introduction:

A. Saul has and would continue to attempt to take David’s life though David has been good to Saul.

1. David was true to Saul.
2. David never laid his hand or his mouth on Saul.
3. Here, David has spared the life of Saul once more but Saul will not give up.
4. In verse 1 of chapter 27, we find David’s despair over the situation.

B. David was chosen by God in 1 Samuel 16 as successor of Saul to the throne of Israel. Samuel anointed David king in the place of Saul. God destined David to rule and David was aware of it. It was God’s promise to David and, yet, we find in 1 Samuel 27:1 that David felt that Saul would kill him and he would never reign!

C. David was “worried” over a future that God had already promised him! How often do we have the same feelings of worry when there is so much in the Bible telling us not to do so?

1. I find this very interesting in light of David’s Promise. (God said that He would preserve David.)

2. I find this very human in light of David’s Predicament. (He was hunted and tired. This pursuit by King Saul was tenacious and unending.

D. I want to look at that little word “worry” for a few minutes this morning and try to give all of us a little help. You might ask, “Preacher, do you ever worry?” My answer would probably be this spiritual one, “I never worry. I only get ‘greatly concerned.’”

E. I believe that we all get “antsy” over the uncertainty of the future as we see the instability of our times. What will 2009 hold for me and my family? I do not know. What will 2009 hold for my church? I do not know. What will 2009 hold for my country? I do not know.

F. Worry defined:

1. To feel uneasy or concerned about something; be troubled. See Synonyms at brood.
2. To pull or tear at something with or as if with the teeth.
3. To proceed doggedly in the face of difficulty or hardship; struggle: worried along at the problem.

v.tr. 1. To cause to feel anxious, distressed, or troubled. See Synonyms at trouble.
2. To bother or annoy, as with petty complaints.

G. A lot has been said about worry:

Blessed is the man who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy …at night

Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday

The only place perpetual worry will get you ahead of time is the cemetery.

Worry brings tomorrow’s supposed difficulties into today.

When you reach into tomorrow’s troubles, you overload today’s circuit.

Worry does not take the sorrow out of tomorrow; it only takes the strength out of today.

When you meet tomorrow, you are out of breath because you are already overloaded from today.

Worry does not make you ready for the future; it makes you unready.

Yesterday is a canceled check; today has all the cash you can handle. Spend it wisely!

1. Worry Is Sin - Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because [he eateth] not of faith: for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin. (I will not be too hard on any of us at this point but we do need to realize that God still controls both our lives and our circumstances. We learn to trust Him!)

Matthew 14:29-33 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

a. Peter’s Fear – “when he saw”

b. Christ’s Gentle Rebuke – “O thou”

c. Disciple’s Worship – “came and worshipped him”

2. Worry Controls Our Thinking And Therefore Our Lives - Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof. (We become ineffective for Christ because our minds are fearful because of our circumstances. Fear is a fearful thing as it possesses our souls!)

Isaiah 26:3-4 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength:

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.

3. Worry Dishonors God - Hebrews 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

4. Worry Doubts Both God’s Love And Care For His Own - 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (I do not believe that we will ever know just how much God loves and cares for us! We spend our days “doing our thing” while giving little thought to our wonderful Lord while He spends our day constantly thinking about and caring for us.)

Psalms 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, [are] thy wonderful works [which] thou hast done, and thy thoughts [which are] to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: [if] I would declare and speak [of them], they are more than can be numbered.

Psalms 40:17 But I [am] poor and needy; [yet] the Lord thinketh upon me: thou [art] my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

5. Worry Affects The Faith Of Others - Psalms 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, [even] praise unto our God: many shall see [it], and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Psalms 34:2-6 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear [thereof], and be glad. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

Acts 28:15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. (Imagine, Paul encouraged by the faithfulness of these brethren. You never know who your life will affect through your faithfulness to the Lord.)

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Our prayer should be, “Dear Lord, never let my faithlessness be a discouragement to my brothers and sisters in Christ.”)

Deuteronomy 1:28 Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people [is] greater and taller than we; the cities [are] great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

6. Worry Encourages The Devil - 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

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

2 Timothy 2:26 And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Satan loves to take down one of God’s children through circumstances. He lies, connives, and constantly works to destroy the faith of God’s children.)

7. Worry Hurts Us Mentally And Physically - Luke 21:26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Psalms 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God. (The greatest killer in America today is stress. Stress is caused by worry and fear. Stress takes a toll on our physical bodies because it never allows us to get the peaceful rest that we require. Our minds cannot rest, therefore, our bodies cannot rest.)

Psalms 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. (Peace is up to us for the Lord has already promised it in John 14:27!)

8. Worry Is Absolute Foolishness For We Gain Nothing By Doing So – (Turn here because no matter how many times we read these verses, we still do not believe them!) Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, (No means “NO”) saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Is this passage of Scripture clear or what? What a promise Jesus Christ our Lord gave to His disciples and yet they spent their days in unwarranted fear.)

James 4:13-17 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

a. Worry Is Foolish Because We Gain Absolutely Nothing By Doing It!

b. Worry Is Foolish Because It Makes Us Less Ready To Meet Our Circumstances When They Do Come!

c. Worry Is Foolish Because Nothing Can Happen To Us Without God’s Permission!

d. Worry Is Foolish Because, Regardless Of What Comes, God Is Still In Control!

e. Worry Is Foolish Because All Of The Worry In The World Will Not Change One Thing!

f. Worry Is Foolish Because All Things Are For Our Sakes!

g. Worry Is Foolish Because God’s Promises Never Fail!

h. Worry Is Foolish Because God’s Grace Is Still Sufficient!

i. Worry Is Foolish Because God Will Always Be There For Us! He Loves Us And Will Take Care Of Us!