1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,260 Well, good morning everyone. And please open your Bible at 2nd Samuel in Chapter 2. It 2 00:00:05,260 –> 00:00:12,640 is my delight to be beginning a new series in this part of the scriptures together today. 3 00:00:12,640 –> 00:00:18,360 Our series is called A Leader You Can Follow. And I want you to know why I’ve been drawn 4 00:00:18,360 –> 00:00:23,420 to these chapters, so that we will see right from the beginning how they speak into our 5 00:00:23,420 –> 00:00:26,040 lives today. 6 00:00:26,059 –> 00:00:30,900 When God’s people came into the promised land, each of the tribes, with the exception of 7 00:00:30,900 –> 00:00:39,459 Levi, received a portion of the land. Each of these 12 tribes were governed by their 8 00:00:39,459 –> 00:00:46,680 elders. And if one of the tribes was attacked by an enemy, the alarm would be raised and 9 00:00:46,680 –> 00:00:53,500 the other tribes would come to their defense. But there was no national structure to bring 10 00:00:53,599 –> 00:01:00,599 them together. The tribes were simply a loose association bound by family history, family 11 00:01:00,660 –> 00:01:07,660 loyalty and affection. But there was no army, there was no strategy for national defense, 12 00:01:07,900 –> 00:01:14,900 just 12 tribes, helping each other out on a kind of as needed basis. 13 00:01:14,900 –> 00:01:20,800 Now, the problems with this over time became very obvious. Some tribes very simply didn’t 14 00:01:20,800 –> 00:01:27,120 pull their weight. If, for example, there was a problem in the tribe of Naphtali in 15 00:01:27,120 –> 00:01:32,639 the north, then it would be of obvious interest for the people of Assur and Zebulun who were 16 00:01:32,639 –> 00:01:39,639 close by to come and help. But when the call for help from Naphtali got all the way down 17 00:01:41,599 –> 00:01:48,059 to the people of say Ruban in the south east, well you can imagine what the reaction might 18 00:01:48,180 –> 00:01:53,040 be. I mean, can’t these brothers sort out their own problems up there, hundreds of miles 19 00:01:53,040 –> 00:01:59,000 away from us? I mean, do they really need us to up stakes and to go and to help them? 20 00:01:59,000 –> 00:02:05,000 Besides, what has the tribe of Naphtali ever done for us? And is it really in our interest 21 00:02:05,000 –> 00:02:12,000 to get involved here? And so forth and so on. Why should we go and fight for them? 22 00:02:12,000 –> 00:02:18,740 Well in the absence of a leader who was able to bring these tribes together, what happened 23 00:02:18,740 –> 00:02:25,580 was that over the years the tribe simply pursued their own individual interest. And that of 24 00:02:25,580 –> 00:02:33,300 course was why they were weak, and that was why they kept being picked off by their enemies. 25 00:02:33,619 –> 00:02:40,259 God’s people over time realized that they had a problem and eventually came to a consensus 26 00:02:40,320 –> 00:02:49,220 about what the answer would be. We need a king. We need someone who can unite us as 27 00:02:49,220 –> 00:02:57,039 one. We need someone who can secure our defense. We need someone who can govern us all with 28 00:02:57,039 –> 00:03:01,580 justice. And so in the First Book of Samuel, chapter 29 00:03:01,580 –> 00:03:07,339 eight and verse twenty, you have people saying there shall be a king over us. That we shall 30 00:03:07,339 –> 00:03:13,899 be like the other nations and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight 31 00:03:13,899 –> 00:03:22,660 our battles. Now as many of you know, the first king was a man by the name of Saul. 32 00:03:22,660 –> 00:03:30,740 He came to the throne, really on a wave of popular support. But very quickly, he proved 33 00:03:30,740 –> 00:03:38,360 to be a big disappointment. The first book of Samuel tells us the sad story, and it was 34 00:03:38,360 –> 00:03:48,139 an increasingly sad story of his reign. Saul became arrogant. He actually built a monument 35 00:03:48,139 –> 00:03:58,279 to himself. Can you imagine that? He was devious. The bible says he was foolish, and over time, 36 00:03:58,339 –> 00:04:05,619 the first king of Israel became increasingly unstable. And the chapters of 1 Samuel trace 37 00:04:05,619 –> 00:04:14,320 the story of Saul s sad reign that ended when he died, taking his own life after he had 38 00:04:14,320 –> 00:04:22,899 been injured on the field of battle. So God s people had wanted a king to deliver them 39 00:04:23,059 –> 00:04:30,299 from their troubles. What they found was that the wrong king actually made their troubles 40 00:04:30,299 –> 00:04:39,739 worse. Well, early in the reign of Saul, God said to the prophet Samuel, I have provided 41 00:04:39,739 –> 00:04:47,220 for myself a king. And at the direction of the Lord, Samuel anointed David who is the 42 00:04:47,220 –> 00:04:53,859 focus of our attention in these series over these next weeks. Now David, as most of you 43 00:04:53,859 –> 00:04:58,859 know, after he had been anointed by Saul, he would only have been a teenager at the 44 00:04:58,859 –> 00:05:06,119 time. But after he was anointed, he came to people’s attention when word got around about 45 00:05:06,119 –> 00:05:11,940 the remarkable triumph that by the grace of God, he had won over a notorious enemy by 46 00:05:11,959 –> 00:05:22,320 the name of Goliath. And when David’s fame and popularity grew, Saul became jealous. 47 00:05:22,320 –> 00:05:29,500 The bible tells us that, the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, but the Lord was 48 00:05:29,500 –> 00:05:38,200 with David and so Saul feared David. Saul, as the years went on, out of this jealousy 49 00:05:38,519 –> 00:05:45,519 and anger and his increasing instability, actually tried on several occasions to kill the man 50 00:05:47,000 –> 00:05:52,420 who would be his own successor. What an extraordinary thing to do. To kill the man who would be 51 00:05:52,420 –> 00:05:59,420 his own successor. He was unsuccessful because God protected David, but for years what this 52 00:06:00,019 –> 00:06:06,779 meant was that David was on the run, trying to find refuge wherever he could find a safe 53 00:06:07,100 –> 00:06:10,940 place. Sometimes among the people of God, sometimes even among the enemies of God who 54 00:06:10,940 –> 00:06:17,940 seemed glad to harbor the enemy of Israel’s king. Saul hated David. Hated him viscerally. 55 00:06:27,739 –> 00:06:34,700 That did not mean that David hated Saul. In fact, throughout his life David honored Saul 56 00:06:35,019 –> 00:06:42,019 this very unstable, often foolish, self-absorbed king. As long as Saul lived, David honored him as 57 00:06:44,700 –> 00:06:51,700 king and refused to raise a hand against him. But when Saul died on the field of battle, 58 00:06:53,579 –> 00:06:58,220 as I’ve described, David was actually a king in exile. 59 00:06:58,299 –> 00:07:04,500 At that point where we take up the story in 2 Samuel and chapter 2, God’s people were 60 00:07:04,500 –> 00:07:11,500 defeated, they were demoralized, and they were deeply, deeply, divided. Their enemies 61 00:07:12,980 –> 00:07:19,980 had triumphed. They were at a low point in their story until David became king. 62 00:07:20,040 –> 00:07:27,040 David became king. Now David was without question the greatest of the Old Testament kings. Under 63 00:07:29,079 –> 00:07:35,000 his leadership, and this was his remarkable achievement, he for the very first time really 64 00:07:35,000 –> 00:07:42,000 brought the twelve tribes together and united them as one people. A nation was born. And 65 00:07:42,339 –> 00:07:49,339 the enemies of God’s people were pushed back. A kingdom was established and God’s people 66 00:07:50,980 –> 00:07:57,980 prospered under the rule of David as they had never done before. And the story of how 67 00:07:58,000 –> 00:08:05,000 all of this happened is told for us in the second book of Samuel. Now let’s get our 68 00:08:05,040 –> 00:08:12,040 minds tuned in then to the multiple applications of this story for all of us today. We are 69 00:08:14,279 –> 00:08:21,279 surely living at a time where we desperately, desperately need leadership that unites. In 70 00:08:24,559 –> 00:08:31,559 every sphere, what we see all around us is growing anger and conflict. Where are the 71 00:08:32,280 –> 00:08:39,280 leaders who can bring people together? And I am saying that is a pressing issue before 72 00:08:40,900 –> 00:08:43,299 us in every sphere of life. 73 00:08:43,299 –> 00:08:49,599 So let me start with the most immediate. Let us start with the world of churches. How many 74 00:08:49,599 –> 00:08:56,440 times have I had a call or a conversation at a conference with an elder from a church 75 00:08:56,440 –> 00:09:01,460 somewhere in the country who has some connection with us here and they’re reaching out in 76 00:09:01,460 –> 00:09:06,000 a general way? And the conversation will go like this, Collin our church has gone through 77 00:09:06,000 –> 00:09:13,000 a difficult time. We’re looking to find a pastor who can bring people together under 78 00:09:14,580 –> 00:09:21,580 a common vision. Do you know anyone who you think could help us? Anyone in Christian leadership 79 00:09:23,099 –> 00:09:27,760 knows what it is to have a conversation like that many, many times. It’s the great need 80 00:09:27,780 –> 00:09:34,780 of the hour. Where are people who can bring others together? And we need leadership that 81 00:09:35,380 –> 00:09:42,380 unites in every sphere of life. What does it look like to exercise an influence where 82 00:09:42,900 –> 00:09:49,900 God has placed you to bring people in this divided world together? In business, in industry, 83 00:09:50,780 –> 00:09:57,780 in education, in politics? Where is hope going to be found for a troubled marriage where 84 00:09:59,679 –> 00:10:06,500 even two people find it very difficult to come together as one? And what about the dysfunctional 85 00:10:06,500 –> 00:10:11,719 family where everyone is pooling in a different direction. What would it look like to exercise 86 00:10:11,719 –> 00:10:18,719 in that family leadership that unites? That’s the question that is before us. 87 00:10:20,099 –> 00:10:27,099 And it’s all around us. We love to say here in America, out of many one. Isn’t that a 88 00:10:28,039 –> 00:10:34,380 marvelous phrase? Out of many one. That’s a glorious vision. 89 00:10:34,380 –> 00:10:39,380 The question is, how in the world is it going to happen? 90 00:10:39,380 –> 00:10:45,659 How do we get beyond the power of special interests and the rule of the loudest voices 91 00:10:46,179 –> 00:10:53,179 actually seek again the common good? Well, I’m saying to you that that is exactly what 92 00:10:53,840 –> 00:10:59,539 these chapters that are before us for these coming weeks address. 93 00:10:59,539 –> 00:11:06,539 We’re going to be looking together at the story of how David was able to unite a nation. 94 00:11:07,059 –> 00:11:11,559 We’re going to discover here what godly leadership looks like, and it’s much more than having 95 00:11:11,719 –> 00:11:18,719 confidence in strength. It takes wisdom, it takes courage, and it takes skill. 96 00:11:20,059 –> 00:11:26,479 And bringing these disparate tribes together was not the work of days or weeks or months. 97 00:11:26,479 –> 00:11:33,059 We will see in these chapters, it took years. It took perseverance. It took patience, as 98 00:11:33,059 –> 00:11:40,059 bringing people together always does. But by the grace of god, David did it. 99 00:11:41,039 –> 00:11:49,159 And these chapters are the story of how god’s people were brought into the best 100 00:11:49,159 –> 00:11:52,039 years they ever knew. 101 00:11:54,760 –> 00:11:57,859 Now one more thing to say by way of introduction, as we’re 102 00:11:57,859 –> 00:12:02,020 getting ourselves oriented to where we are in the Bible’s story for these 103 00:12:02,020 –> 00:12:08,359 weeks. The life of David really falls into three parts or three chapters if 104 00:12:08,659 –> 00:12:14,419 you like. The first we could call his trials, the long years in which he was 105 00:12:14,419 –> 00:12:20,340 hunted and persecuted by King Saul. The second chapter which is the one we’re 106 00:12:20,340 –> 00:12:25,940 focusing on in the coming weeks we could call his triumphs. When by the grace of 107 00:12:25,940 –> 00:12:31,820 God he brought people together and established the Kingdom. Then there was 108 00:12:31,820 –> 00:12:37,260 as many of you know a third chapter in his life that we could describe as his 109 00:12:37,919 –> 00:12:46,479 troubles that came of course through his own sins and his own folly. Three very 110 00:12:46,479 –> 00:12:53,419 distinct chapters in the life of this remarkable man David. We did actually 111 00:12:53,419 –> 00:12:58,280 look some years ago at the first chapter of David’s life and God’s willing at 112 00:12:58,280 –> 00:13:03,039 some point in the future we will look at the last chapter of his life. But in 113 00:13:03,179 –> 00:13:08,979 these coming weeks we’re looking at this middle chapter. The greatest chapter of 114 00:13:08,979 –> 00:13:14,599 his life his triumphs when he established a kingdom. So this middle 115 00:13:14,599 –> 00:13:18,520 chapter of David’s life is David at his best. 116 00:13:20,440 –> 00:13:26,739 This is the high point of his life. These chapters are the ones in which 117 00:13:26,739 –> 00:13:32,919 more than anywhere else in his life he clearly points us to the Lord Jesus 118 00:13:32,919 –> 00:13:41,679 Christ. But I want to say even here that the Bible never presents David as if he 119 00:13:41,679 –> 00:13:48,820 were a paragon of virtue. He had in each of his chapters of life as 120 00:13:48,820 –> 00:13:53,520 we all do sins and failings that were many and the scripture never hides them 121 00:13:53,520 –> 00:13:58,039 from us. I mean right here in the verses that were read for example 122 00:13:58,640 –> 00:14:01,500 we’re told in verse 2 that David had two wives 123 00:14:01,500 –> 00:14:06,700 Ahinoam and Abigail and we will see in the later chapters that more were added 124 00:14:06,700 –> 00:14:12,719 quite clearly contravening the pattern of God set out in creation and the 125 00:14:12,719 –> 00:14:17,599 command of God with regards to Kings not taking many wives that was set out very 126 00:14:17,599 –> 00:14:24,440 clearly in the book of Deuteronomy. So let’s be clear David needed a savior as 127 00:14:24,460 –> 00:14:30,940 much as every one of us do that by the way is why he called the Messiah who was 128 00:14:30,940 –> 00:14:38,859 to come his Lord. He’s the King and he calls the Messiah His Lord, but having 129 00:14:38,859 –> 00:14:46,940 said that in his life he does give to us remarkable glimpses of the Great King 130 00:14:46,940 –> 00:14:53,380 Jesus Christ and of the great kingdom that he has come into the world to 131 00:14:53,719 –> 00:15:00,219 establish, and as we see David gathering together as One 132 00:15:00,219 –> 00:15:07,900 the peoples of these 12 tribes we are surely to be thinking in our minds of 133 00:15:07,900 –> 00:15:14,219 the David’s greater son our Lord Jesus Christ who comes into the world to 134 00:15:14,219 –> 00:15:20,580 gather people as one from every tribe and nation, delivering them from the 135 00:15:20,880 –> 00:15:27,400 enemy who has enslaved them and making them One under his sovereign rule and 136 00:15:27,400 –> 00:15:34,080 these anticipations of the Lord Jesus Christ I think are especially clear in 137 00:15:34,080 –> 00:15:39,640 this middle chapter of David’s life where we see his remarkable achievement 138 00:15:39,640 –> 00:15:45,900 of bringing God’s people together and so I’ve chosen for the series the simple 139 00:15:45,940 –> 00:15:51,580 title A Leader You Can Follow. First because David does give to us here a 140 00:15:51,580 –> 00:15:55,479 marvelous example of what godly leadership looks like, leadership that 141 00:15:55,479 –> 00:15:58,539 unites. We’re gonna see what it’s like here and 142 00:15:58,539 –> 00:16:04,239 we might go about pursuing such influence in our world today and also 143 00:16:04,239 –> 00:16:10,140 I’ve chosen this title because David points us to Jesus, the one that we are 144 00:16:10,140 –> 00:16:16,380 committed to follow, the great King who invites us to live under the blessing of 145 00:16:16,380 –> 00:16:22,820 his marvelous rule. Well now I hope then that you have your Bible open at 2nd 146 00:16:22,820 –> 00:16:29,140 Samuel and chapter 2 as we begin this marvelous story. And I want you to notice 147 00:16:29,140 –> 00:16:35,099 that the very first thing that David did as he launched out on this new chapter 148 00:16:35,820 –> 00:16:42,559 the first thing to do in any new chapter and any new initiative he sought the 149 00:16:42,559 –> 00:16:50,679 face of God in prayer. After this, verse one, that is after the death of Saul and 150 00:16:50,679 –> 00:16:58,760 the mourning that followed, after this David inquired of the Lord, shall I go up 151 00:16:59,080 –> 00:17:09,760 into any of the cities of Judah? Now remember that David had known since his 152 00:17:09,760 –> 00:17:16,040 teenage years that God had anointed him to be king. That had happened at the hand 153 00:17:16,040 –> 00:17:23,280 of Samuel pouring the oil on him. It recorded in 1st Samuel and chapter 16. 154 00:17:23,959 –> 00:17:32,640 But for more than a decade, David has been a king without a people. And the 155 00:17:32,640 –> 00:17:41,680 question when Saul died was very simple. Are there any people anywhere who 156 00:17:41,680 –> 00:17:48,160 actually want to own David as their king? In any of the towns. That’s the 157 00:17:48,160 –> 00:17:55,359 question. Shall I go up, verse 2, to any of the cities of Judah? Now of course 158 00:17:55,359 –> 00:17:59,719 Judah was David’s own tribe and so it made sense that that would be where he 159 00:17:59,719 –> 00:18:04,239 would go first. But here’s the question. Even among my own people you see he came 160 00:18:04,239 –> 00:18:08,560 to his own and his own received him not. But to as many as received him he gave 161 00:18:08,560 –> 00:18:14,160 the right to become children of God. Those who were born of God. And this is 162 00:18:14,160 –> 00:18:17,959 where David is. Is there going to be any welcome for me? Is there going to be any 163 00:18:18,060 –> 00:18:28,439 reception, for my rule, my reign, any place for my kingdom on this earth? And the 164 00:18:28,439 –> 00:18:35,719 answer is yes there is. There are people who will welcome the reign of God’s 165 00:18:35,719 –> 00:18:42,479 anointed King. David you go up to Hebron and you’ll find them there. 166 00:18:42,500 –> 00:18:48,599 Now, Hebron was hardly a major city, of course, it’s known in the Bible as the 167 00:18:48,599 –> 00:18:56,439 place where Abraham, and later Isaac and Jacob, resided. But one commentator 168 00:18:56,439 –> 00:19:03,599 describes Hebron as a provincial backwater. Don’t think that this is some major city, 169 00:19:03,599 –> 00:19:10,160 this is out in the Styx. A provincial backwater. And David goes to this place 170 00:19:10,339 –> 00:19:16,880 out in the Styx and we’re told that there, verse 4, the men of Judah came and 171 00:19:16,880 –> 00:19:27,900 they anointed David king over the house of Judah. Now remember that God had 172 00:19:27,900 –> 00:19:35,140 already anointed David as king through the Prophet Samuel. And so when these 173 00:19:35,180 –> 00:19:38,959 people at Hebron anointed him as their king, 174 00:19:38,959 –> 00:19:46,260 they were simply agreeing with what God had already done. And that actually gives 175 00:19:46,260 –> 00:19:52,040 us a marvelous picture of what faith means for us today. You see, long ago God 176 00:19:52,040 –> 00:20:00,780 anointed Jesus Christ his son as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He 177 00:20:00,939 –> 00:20:06,959 exalted him to the highest place and gave to Jesus the name that is above 178 00:20:06,959 –> 00:20:11,880 every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue 179 00:20:11,880 –> 00:20:18,280 confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So, when you crown Jesus 180 00:20:18,280 –> 00:20:23,640 Christ as Lord of your life, you are simply saying amen to what God has 181 00:20:23,640 –> 00:20:27,979 already done. You’re agreeing with God over Jesus. Actually, that’s the essence 182 00:20:28,079 –> 00:20:34,459 of what faith is. It’s that you agree with God in regards to Jesus because God 183 00:20:34,459 –> 00:20:38,459 has highly exalted him. When you exalt him as your king and as your Lord and 184 00:20:38,459 –> 00:20:42,560 submit your life to him you’re in line with what God has declared and done in 185 00:20:42,560 –> 00:20:53,839 regards to his Son Jesus Christ. Now this anointing at Hebron was a great moment 186 00:20:54,040 –> 00:21:01,380 in the flow of the Bible’s story because think about it here out in the sticks in 187 00:21:01,380 –> 00:21:10,579 our rural backwater for the very first time there were people on earth who 188 00:21:10,579 –> 00:21:21,339 lived under the rule of God’s chosen king. God’s anointed King David ruled in 189 00:21:21,420 –> 00:21:29,479 Judah. A tiny postage stamp on the map but at least there was some place on the 190 00:21:29,479 –> 00:21:37,040 face of the earth where God’s anointed King actually reigned. By the way that’s 191 00:21:37,040 –> 00:21:43,160 what the church is isn’t it it’s a community of people in particular 192 00:21:43,160 –> 00:21:50,119 locations across the whole of the earth who gather together under the rule of 193 00:21:50,880 –> 00:21:56,819 God’s anointed King Jesus Christ and seek to live under the blessing of His 194 00:21:56,819 –> 00:22:04,760 rule. And that first gathering of such people that first gathering of those who 195 00:22:04,760 –> 00:22:08,920 lived under the blessing of the rule of God’s anointed King was not exactly 196 00:22:08,920 –> 00:22:17,079 numerically impressive. I mean if the data analysts had got going on a survey 197 00:22:17,479 –> 00:22:23,239 of the whole area covered by the Twelve Tribes and brought in the report on the 198 00:22:23,239 –> 00:22:27,040 prospects of David, I think it wouldn’t have been very impressive in those days, 199 00:22:27,040 –> 00:22:35,880 you know. What percentage of people acknowledge the kingship of David? Well 200 00:22:35,880 –> 00:22:41,760 he’s got one tribe for him and eleven who don’t acknowledge him at all. How 201 00:22:41,760 –> 00:22:46,520 many college students believe that life will be better under David’s rule, you 202 00:22:46,839 –> 00:22:53,640 know? The answers would not be encouraging. And sometimes Christian 203 00:22:53,640 –> 00:22:57,319 believers, we do kind of look at each other and we say, well you know our in 204 00:22:57,319 –> 00:23:04,640 the vastness of the world. Here we are acknowledging the rule of King Jesus. 205 00:23:04,640 –> 00:23:12,119 And sometimes we have the feeling that maybe we’re not that much. But the story 206 00:23:12,180 –> 00:23:16,660 that’s before us reminds us that from these very, very small beginnings in the 207 00:23:16,660 –> 00:23:25,020 rural backwater of Hebron. A Great Kingdom was established and when you 208 00:23:25,020 –> 00:23:29,060 think about that story that we’re going to follow over these weeks. Surely what 209 00:23:29,060 –> 00:23:35,719 it does. Is it points us forward as a kind of foretaste or forecast of the 210 00:23:35,719 –> 00:23:39,979 Kingdom of Jesus. When he comes into the world. And you remember what he said. The 211 00:23:40,280 –> 00:23:45,260 kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds. But it does 212 00:23:45,260 –> 00:23:53,439 grow and it becomes a great and a marvelous tree. And you remember the 213 00:23:53,439 –> 00:23:58,280 story of the New Testament is exactly on that pattern. When Jesus ascended into 214 00:23:58,280 –> 00:24:04,819 heaven what was left there were a hundred and twenty people, and they’re in 215 00:24:04,819 –> 00:24:09,160 an upper room and they’re all pretty scared, and they feel overwhelmed by the 216 00:24:09,219 –> 00:24:14,800 vastness of the world, and the weight of the culture against them, and all of this. 217 00:24:14,800 –> 00:24:20,439 What’s the prospect for this little group of a hundred and twenty people who 218 00:24:20,439 –> 00:24:28,000 are gathered? What kind of influence are they ever ever going to have? But you see 219 00:24:28,000 –> 00:24:32,560 within a generation you have John who was there in that upper room and he’s 220 00:24:32,560 –> 00:24:38,599 given a marvelous vision of what one day every Christian will see. We have it 221 00:24:38,640 –> 00:24:42,199 recorded in what we call the book of Revelation, and John says this, 222 00:24:42,199 –> 00:24:49,479 I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number. And they’re 223 00:24:49,479 –> 00:24:55,760 from every nation and notice this, from all tribes, and all peoples, and all 224 00:24:55,760 –> 00:24:59,400 languages, standing before the throne of God and the Lamb and they’re crying out 225 00:24:59,400 –> 00:25:04,439 with a loud voice, salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to 226 00:25:04,439 –> 00:25:11,599 the Lamb. Now this journey from the hundred or so in Jerusalem who own the 227 00:25:11,599 –> 00:25:16,739 rule of Jesus to the multitude that no one can count to rejoice under the 228 00:25:16,739 –> 00:25:24,020 benefits of his rule, that marvelous journey of which we are a part is 229 00:25:24,020 –> 00:25:31,199 forecast in the story that we are looking at. It’s foreshadowed in the 230 00:25:31,400 –> 00:25:37,579 story of how starting from that little enclave in Hebron people from the 231 00:25:37,579 –> 00:25:42,040 north and the south and the east and the west, from these twelve tribes one by one 232 00:25:42,040 –> 00:25:48,400 gradually came to own allegiance and become part of this great kingdom of 233 00:25:48,400 –> 00:25:54,699 which God had anointed David to be the head. So what we’re following here is 234 00:25:54,719 –> 00:26:00,579 then the story of a great king and it’s the story of two groups of 235 00:26:00,579 –> 00:26:05,140 people. There are those who are for his and there are those who are not, some of 236 00:26:05,140 –> 00:26:11,040 them are implacably opposed to him, and what it is, is the story of how this 237 00:26:11,040 –> 00:26:18,099 great king reaches out to his enemies and wins them and causes them to become 238 00:26:18,099 –> 00:26:24,939 his friends. It is therefore as it were a story that illustrates how people come 239 00:26:25,020 –> 00:26:31,459 into God’s kingdom, how the mission that is given to the church actually 240 00:26:31,459 –> 00:26:39,420 advances in the world. It is a story then that speaks volumes to us about how we 241 00:26:39,420 –> 00:26:44,739 are to pursue our mission in a world that doesn’t honor our king. That’s what 242 00:26:44,739 –> 00:26:52,160 David’s doing, how do you reach out when there’s a huge majority who owe no 243 00:26:52,500 –> 00:27:02,319 allegiance to our king. Now the very first reaching out that David ever did 244 00:27:02,319 –> 00:27:10,479 after this remarkable anointing in the backwater of Hebron was to people of a 245 00:27:10,479 –> 00:27:20,520 town called Jabesh Gilead. Look at verse 4, when they told David it was the men 246 00:27:20,520 –> 00:27:28,599 of Jabesh Gilead who buried Saul. David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh 247 00:27:28,599 –> 00:27:37,640 Gilead let’s go talk to them first he says. Now the significance of this is 248 00:27:37,640 –> 00:27:44,319 that the people of Jabesh Gilead were hardcore supporters of Saul and there 249 00:27:44,319 –> 00:27:49,739 was a reason for that you can read about it in 1st Samuel in chapter 11. Years 250 00:27:49,739 –> 00:27:55,859 earlier there had been a wicked enemy today I think we would without question 251 00:27:55,859 –> 00:28:03,939 call him a terrorist. A man by the name of Nahash who came with his force to 252 00:28:03,939 –> 00:28:12,459 this town of Jabesh Gilead and threatened the most vulgar violence. He 253 00:28:12,839 –> 00:28:21,099 said, I will give you two choices. One I wipe you out, two you surrender to me and 254 00:28:21,099 –> 00:28:30,079 become my slaves and as a condition of that compromise I will gouge out the 255 00:28:30,079 –> 00:28:37,359 right eye of every citizen of the town. I mean talk about terror right and you’ve 256 00:28:37,359 –> 00:28:41,760 got seven days to make up your mind which you want. 257 00:28:41,760 –> 00:28:45,599 The people of Jabesh got a message 258 00:28:45,599 –> 00:28:56,859 to Saul. Saul brought an army and wiped out Nahash and his terrorist army and 259 00:28:56,859 –> 00:29:04,040 the people of Jabesh as you can imagine never forgot what Saul had done for them. 260 00:29:04,040 –> 00:29:11,300 They loved him and they were intensely loyal to him more loyal to Saul than 261 00:29:11,300 –> 00:29:22,219 anyone else anywhere in the 12 tribes. So this is the hardcore of Saulism. Years 262 00:29:22,219 –> 00:29:27,099 later you can read about this at the end of First Tamul when Saul died on the 263 00:29:27,099 –> 00:29:31,459 field of battle as I’ve described the Philistines, the enemies in that 264 00:29:31,459 –> 00:29:36,219 battle they came the following day and when they found his body they thought 265 00:29:36,219 –> 00:29:41,979 oh we can humiliate all of our enemies here and so they took the corpse of Saul 266 00:29:41,979 –> 00:29:49,239 back to a temple of one of their gods one of their idols and they put his body 267 00:29:49,239 –> 00:29:55,380 his corpse on public display as an act of humiliation and degradation. The man 268 00:29:55,459 –> 00:30:01,579 wasn’t even given a proper burial and when the people of Jabesh heard about 269 00:30:01,579 –> 00:30:07,660 this they were outraged and so they undertook what we today would call a 270 00:30:07,660 –> 00:30:13,219 commando raid. Under cover of darkness they went into enemy territory right 271 00:30:13,219 –> 00:30:18,939 into the temple itself of one of the Philistine gods and retrieved the body 272 00:30:18,939 –> 00:30:25,479 of their fallen king and brought it back to Jabesh and gave him a proper burial 273 00:30:25,479 –> 00:30:32,040 and that’s what’s referred to here when the people tell David what they have 274 00:30:32,040 –> 00:30:37,599 done. it was a daring and dangerous mission but they were willing to risk 275 00:30:37,599 –> 00:30:44,199 their lives even for a dead king. They had loved him that much. 276 00:30:44,479 –> 00:30:50,319 So then if ever there were people who were Saul’s people, it was the people of 277 00:30:50,319 –> 00:30:56,880 Jabesh Gilead. I mean here’s their worldview. What Saul is for, we are for. 278 00:30:56,880 –> 00:31:06,280 What Saul is against, we are against. And for years the person that Saul was 279 00:31:06,280 –> 00:31:12,719 most against was David. So you can imagine this was the most hostile 280 00:31:12,760 –> 00:31:19,819 audience imaginable. If there was any group of people anywhere in the land who 281 00:31:19,819 –> 00:31:26,599 were gonna hate David, it was the people of Jabesh Gilead. The most hostile 282 00:31:26,599 –> 00:31:34,020 audience you could imagine for the message of this king. And David says 283 00:31:34,020 –> 00:31:43,900 let’s go talk to them first. Isn’t that remarkable? Let’s go talk to them. Now 284 00:31:43,900 –> 00:31:53,619 think then about the person in your life who you think least likely to own King 285 00:31:53,619 –> 00:32:01,359 Jesus. Think about the people in your workplace, in your broader circle and you 286 00:32:01,400 –> 00:32:07,319 say, I couldn’t in my wildest dreams imagine them ever being Christians. 287 00:32:09,140 –> 00:32:12,780 That’s what we’re talking about here, that the people furthest away, most 288 00:32:12,780 –> 00:32:19,719 hostile, least likely ever to own the kingship of Jesus. How would you 289 00:32:19,719 –> 00:32:26,260 approach them? How would you try and win them? That’s the question that’s 290 00:32:26,760 –> 00:32:32,300 in these verses today, because they tell us how David went about winning 291 00:32:32,300 –> 00:32:33,280 the least likely. 292 00:32:35,500 –> 00:32:41,319 Now put yourself in the shoes of the people of Job, when the messengers of 293 00:32:41,319 –> 00:32:46,540 David arrived. Here are these men, they’ve been sent by David, who has 294 00:32:46,540 –> 00:32:50,560 been crowned as king by some of the people of his own tribe on the sticks 295 00:32:50,560 –> 00:32:52,619 somewhere down in Judah. 296 00:32:53,020 –> 00:32:56,119 And what would you expect to hear. 297 00:32:56,140 –> 00:33:00,920 Now if you’re standing in the shoes of a person in Jebesh you’ve been loyal 298 00:33:00,920 –> 00:33:06,020 to Saul all of your life, intensively so, and Saul has been trying for years 299 00:33:06,199 –> 00:33:07,500 to destroy David. 300 00:33:08,900 –> 00:33:13,060 Well you’re going to be braced and ready for this messenger and your body 301 00:33:13,060 –> 00:33:17,239 language is going to say it all when you stand in the town square or whatever 302 00:33:17,260 –> 00:33:18,660 to hear this proclamation. 303 00:33:19,660 –> 00:33:21,420 We’re ready bring it on you know. 304 00:33:21,819 –> 00:33:23,920 This is the most resistant, crowd imaginable. 305 00:33:24,979 –> 00:33:31,459 What you’re expecting is, you were for Saul, I David amongst you. 306 00:33:32,739 –> 00:33:38,380 May you be cursed by the Lord, your days are numbered and I will destroy you. 307 00:33:38,380 –> 00:33:42,979 That’s what you’re expecting to hear if you are a person in Jebesh Gilead, 308 00:33:43,020 –> 00:33:49,599 but notice very strikingly that is not what the messenger of this King says. 309 00:33:49,599 –> 00:33:55,020 David sent messengers to the men of Jebesh Gilead and said to them may you 310 00:33:55,020 –> 00:33:59,380 be blessed by the Lord. People are looking at each other’s in did he say 311 00:33:59,380 –> 00:34:06,579 blessed did he say he wanted us to be blessed. 312 00:34:06,719 –> 00:34:16,379 May you be cursed. May you be blessed by the Lord. Then he goes on. 313 00:34:16,379 –> 00:34:25,620 I will do you good. 314 00:34:25,620 –> 00:34:27,620 I will do you good. 315 00:34:28,159 –> 00:34:33,020 Nobody in Jbeish ever expected to hear this. 316 00:34:36,040 –> 00:34:41,500 Here is a King, who goes to the people most hostile towards him, 317 00:34:43,439 –> 00:34:48,439 and he says, Now you were for Saul and Saul was against me. 318 00:34:49,360 –> 00:34:51,360 That does not mean that I am against you. 319 00:34:53,199 –> 00:34:55,199 I will do you good. 320 00:34:55,679 –> 00:34:58,239 And my word to you is that I want to bring you into the 321 00:34:58,239 –> 00:35:00,679 knowledge of the blessing of God, His love and of His 322 00:35:00,679 –> 00:35:01,679 faithfulness. 323 00:35:03,959 –> 00:35:06,600 Now I want to speak to the person listening today who is 324 00:35:06,600 –> 00:35:11,000 least likely to own Jesus Christ as Lord and King. 325 00:35:13,540 –> 00:35:17,340 There is an inner resistance that has developed over time 326 00:35:17,340 –> 00:35:24,919 towards Him, and you’ve got used to pushing Him away. 327 00:35:25,760 –> 00:35:28,399 And I want to say to you from this passage in the Bible, 328 00:35:28,399 –> 00:35:31,520 you may have set yourself against Jesus, that does not 329 00:35:31,520 –> 00:35:34,760 mean that Jesus has set Himself against you. 330 00:35:36,439 –> 00:35:42,540 King Jesus reaches out to those who are least likely to 331 00:35:42,540 –> 00:35:43,919 welcome Him as King. 332 00:35:46,639 –> 00:35:49,679 You may have set yourself against Jesus, that does not 333 00:35:49,679 –> 00:35:52,439 mean that Jesus has set Himself against you. 334 00:35:55,760 –> 00:35:58,939 You may imagine because you’ve set yourself against Jesus 335 00:35:58,939 –> 00:36:03,360 that it must be that His Word to you is I hate you and I 336 00:36:03,360 –> 00:36:04,459 will destroy you. 337 00:36:06,600 –> 00:36:09,399 But what Jesus says to you as He draws near in what the 338 00:36:09,399 –> 00:36:13,100 Bible calls grace is I will do you good. 339 00:36:14,840 –> 00:36:18,159 I have come to bring you into the knowledge of the love and 340 00:36:18,159 –> 00:36:19,699 of the faithfulness of God. 341 00:36:20,379 –> 00:36:24,199 And so no doubt as people are reeling from what they’re 342 00:36:24,199 –> 00:36:26,340 hearing can we believe this. 343 00:36:28,139 –> 00:36:30,379 That the one we hate is actually 344 00:36:32,080 –> 00:36:36,939 reaching out to us in love to seek to do us good. 345 00:36:38,760 –> 00:36:40,419 Could there be a King like that. 346 00:36:42,760 –> 00:36:46,100 David follows this Word of grace with a marvellous invitation 347 00:36:46,520 –> 00:36:51,739 He says now therefore let your hands be strong be valiant. 348 00:36:52,800 –> 00:36:57,879 For Saul your Lord is dead and the House of Judah has anointed 349 00:36:57,879 –> 00:36:59,699 me as the King over them. 350 00:37:00,919 –> 00:37:01,939 You see what he’s saying. 351 00:37:03,500 –> 00:37:07,199 And he’s reaching out to them to try and make them his friends. 352 00:37:07,979 –> 00:37:11,379 And he’s saying Look the kingdom you’ve been living for is 353 00:37:12,179 –> 00:37:13,739 passing away. 354 00:37:14,340 –> 00:37:16,399 You know that you know that. 355 00:37:18,340 –> 00:37:21,860 But the good news is that a new kingdom is rising and there’s 356 00:37:21,860 –> 00:37:26,260 room in it for you and there’s a welcome for you in it even 357 00:37:26,260 –> 00:37:29,139 though you have long set yourself against it. 358 00:37:30,560 –> 00:37:33,300 And this is the word of the king who lives. 359 00:37:33,340 –> 00:37:36,060 Thank God our King is the king who lives right. 360 00:37:36,979 –> 00:37:40,239 And this is the words of the king who lives what you’ve been 361 00:37:40,239 –> 00:37:44,500 giving yourself to now has no power to help you. 362 00:37:47,159 –> 00:37:52,100 But I will do you good and you know what when you come to 363 00:37:52,100 –> 00:37:57,219 believe that Jesus Christ will do you good even though you may 364 00:37:57,219 –> 00:38:01,500 long have set yourself against him you will be ready to 365 00:38:01,500 –> 00:38:03,459 embrace him as your king. 366 00:38:03,820 –> 00:38:07,199 But that takes courage. 367 00:38:09,379 –> 00:38:12,679 And David knows that and that is why he says let your hands be 368 00:38:12,679 –> 00:38:14,459 strong and be valiant. 369 00:38:16,879 –> 00:38:20,300 If you grow up surrounded by Christian faith and then you 370 00:38:20,300 –> 00:38:24,639 have chosen to go in a different direction it will be no small 371 00:38:24,639 –> 00:38:27,860 thing for you now to own Jesus Christ as your king. 372 00:38:28,840 –> 00:38:31,199 You become used to pushing him away has become part of your 373 00:38:31,199 –> 00:38:34,679 identity. Everyone knows that’s what you do. It will be no small 374 00:38:34,679 –> 00:3:36,080 thing for you. 375 00:38:37,320 –> 00:38:41,040 To embrace Jesus Christ is your care. So David says here now 376 00:38:41,040 –> 00:38:43,439 you got to be strong you’ve got to be courageous at this point. 377 00:38:44,840 –> 00:38:48,719 You can’t go on living. Putting your hope in a dead king who 378 00:38:48,719 –> 00:38:52,500 can help you. You’ve got to come to the living King who says I 379 00:38:52,500 –> 00:38:53,620 will do you good. 380 00:38:56,000 –> 00:38:59,520 If you were brought up in a different faith a growing 381 00:38:59,520 –> 00:39:05,060 number of us come from a background a tradition a family 382 00:39:05,060 –> 00:39:08,760 an upbringing that was entirely alien from Christianity or 383 00:39:08,760 –> 00:39:13,040 perhaps you were brought up with absolutely no faith at all. 384 00:39:14,919 –> 00:39:17,879 Well it will be no small thing for you to take your stand with 385 00:39:17,879 –> 00:39:22,520 Jesus Christ. You need to hear this word. You may have been 386 00:39:22,520 –> 00:39:26,639 against Jesus but that does not mean that Jesus is against you. 387 00:39:26,639 –> 00:39:32,520 And he invites you to live now under the blessing of His rule 388 00:39:32,840 –> 00:39:37,300 and He says to you today I will do you good and if you will 389 00:39:37,300 –> 00:39:41,879 believe that you will gladly freely submit your life to him 390 00:39:41,879 –> 00:39:43,540 as your Lord and as your king. 391 00:39:45,479 –> 00:39:47,719 You may be saying that at this point why in the world would he 392 00:39:47,719 –> 00:39:48,879 want to do good to me? 393 00:39:50,959 –> 00:39:53,199 And that’s what the Bible calls grace. 394 00:39:54,159 –> 00:39:59,020 We were enemies of Jesus but that that does not make Jesus an 395 00:39:59,020 –> 00:40:00,219 enemy to us. 396 00:40:02,100 –> 00:40:08,780 While we were still his enemies Christ died for us and it’s 397 00:40:08,780 –> 00:40:12,320 when you understand the grace of this King who reaches out to 398 00:40:12,320 –> 00:40:16,439 the least likely to his enemies to people or hearts set against 399 00:40:16,439 –> 00:40:19,020 him and wins them over as his friends. 400 00:40:19,300 –> 00:40:22,879 It’s when you understand the grace of this king that the 401 00:40:23,179 –> 00:40:28,139 response of faith and taking your stand with him becomes 402 00:40:28,139 –> 00:40:28,719 possible. 403 00:40:28,739 –> 00:40:32,659 You get the courage to take your stand with Jesus Christ when 404 00:40:32,659 –> 00:40:37,260 you understand the grace with which he reaches out to you when 405 00:40:37,260 –> 00:40:40,840 you know and believe that this king will do you good. 406 00:40:41,139 –> 00:40:45,860 You will gladly and freely submit to his rule and knowing 407 00:40:45,860 –> 00:40:50,919 that he will do you good and that he is for you even when you 408 00:40:50,919 –> 00:40:55,879 were against him is what you discover at the cross. 409 00:40:58,260 –> 00:41:01,820 So friends in this little story I’m suggesting to you that we 410 00:41:01,820 –> 00:41:06,020 actually have the whole story of the Bible in a tiny little 411 00:41:06,020 –> 00:41:10,280 nutshell because what is the story of the Bible. 412 00:41:10,320 –> 00:41:14,399 The story of the Bible is that there is a great king anointed 413 00:41:14,399 –> 00:41:19,800 by God and there are some people for him and there are some 414 00:41:19,800 –> 00:41:21,080 people who are against him. 415 00:41:22,679 –> 00:41:26,040 But this king is always reaching out and especially to those 416 00:41:26,040 –> 00:41:30,000 least likely to receive him and he speaks words of grace. 417 00:41:30,020 –> 00:41:36,659 He says I will do you good God did not send his son into the 418 00:41:36,659 –> 00:41:41,360 world to condemn the world but that the world through him might 419 00:41:41,360 –> 00:41:42,280 be saved. 420 00:41:44,439 –> 00:41:50,159 Well me his grace give to every one of us the courage to stand 421 00:41:50,159 –> 00:41:56,879 with him as our king and then to be messengers of his grace so 422 00:41:56,879 –> 00:42:01,699 that people from every tribe and every nation including the least 423 00:42:01,699 –> 00:42:07,159 likely they come to live under the blessing of his marvelous 424 00:42:07,159 –> 00:42:07,580 rule. 425 00:42:08,159 –> 00:42:08,840 Let’s pray together. 426 00:42:09,820 –> 00:42:13,639 Father thank you for the grace that is in the Lord Jesus 427 00:42:13,639 –> 00:42:14,159 Christ. 428 00:42:16,040 –> 00:42:22,360 May each of us come to believe and therefore gladly and freely 429 00:42:22,360 –> 00:42:27,840 to submit to the king who will do us good and may we be 430 00:42:27,840 –> 00:42:30,919 messengers of grace and in a divided world. 431 00:42:31,760 –> 00:42:37,320 Learn more and more of how we in the name of Jesus may play our 432 00:42:37,840 –> 00:42:41,800 part and have an influence for good in the lives of others. 433 00:42:41,840 –> 00:42:44,000 And these things we pray in Jesus name and everyone 434 00:42:44,000 –> 00:42:44,580 together said Amen.