well welcome and thanks for joining us
my name's Brian this is Leanne I'm
looking forward to just another
opportunity for us to sit under God's
Word just sing songs together and
worship and we just want to take a
minute and invite you in I know that
we're in all different kinds of spaces
across the Upstate in our living rooms
on couches and surrounded by
distractions kids running in phone's
going off or whatever those are what I
would ask you to do for the next hour is
to do whatever you need to to be fully
present with us again as we sing as we
sit in on God's Word so I'll invite you
in as we get started
Leanne's gonna read a passage from first
Peter and it helps just remind us of
where our hope truly should be found not
the things of this earth so let's listen
to these words and then we'll sing and
worship together all praise to God the
father of our Lord Jesus Christ it is by
His great mercy that we have been born
again because God raised Jesus Christ
from the dead now we live with great
expectation and we have a priceless
inheritance inheritance that is kept in
heaven for you pure and undefiled beyond
the reach of change and decay and
through your faith God is protecting you
by his power until you receive the
salvation which is ready to be revealed
on the last day for all to see
we'll see these words together
there is the fountain filled with blood
drawn from Emmanuel
and satisfy me
that foot the guilty stage
me too
wash
we
there is
feel my see me on
the machine
and my duties
is
cover
to
it's five things I saw the stream so we
won't serve my his love
Wow
well hey Church I'm glad we get to
worship together this weekend if we
haven't already met my name is Daniel
Moore one of the pastors on our staff
last weekend as the service wrapped up I
love seeing the stories of some of you
some of you that are watching this
weekend but stories of our members
getting to share how they are seeing God
work in their lives especially during
these unknown times there's a great
encouragement to me my family it's a
great reminder to me that all of us are
around and we're working through this
and we're doing it together even if we
can't see each other all the time but
it's a powerful reminder of what it's
like to be a part of the church to
belong together well this weekend is
actually the ninth weekend that we have
done services this way virtually and
we're going to continue to provide these
but we're also excited that next weekend
we'll get to start some small gatherings
on each campus we have a lot of details
and I know you have a lot of questions
and so one of the things we've done is
we've updated our webpage where you can
find all of the information you are
going to need for those gatherings but
let me give you just a few details right
now we are asking you to register each
week so you'll go online and you'll
actually let us know which service you
and your family or you and your party
plan to attend we're trying to limit
these gatherings to 20 percent of the
capacity and so in order to do that we
do have to know who's coming and so
we're thankful that you would be willing
to do that each week well what it will
also do is set us up where we can take
the necessary precautions to create a
safe environment as you come then as
you're able to come and worship with us
we'll get to be in person we'll get to
see each other we get to hear each other
sing which I think will be a great
blessing but if you will make sure you
go to that website this week the
registration for the services will go
live on Wednesday and then you'll get to
see what all options are available then
as well so you can go there and we'll
make sure we push information to you as
well but all that's for next week for
this week I'm excited for our time
together we are we just read this
leann read this passage out of first
Peter chapter 1 and there's a phrase in
there that just grabs me it says now we
live with great expectation one of the
reasons why that grabs me right now is
we actually have just finished doing a
foundations group which amazes me even
during this season where there's so much
uncertainty we still have folks coming
in to our church and getting connected
but we talked about this idea that
whenever you belong to the church you're
allowing other people to have great
expectations of you you are committing
yourself to one another in a way that
you're going to carry one another's
burdens people can depend on you people
can know that God is working in your
life and you're going to open your life
and transparent ways for that well
what's amazing is as we get to come and
open God's Word now we are committing to
that same thing we're committing to
humbling ourselves and to allowing God
to shape us through his word so why
don't you go ahead and grab your Bible
and I want to pray for us as we start
open God's Word father thank you for
being with us during this time you have
promised us your presence through your
spirit and that gives us great security
and confidence so we want to pray that
right now is we're scattered all around
that you would teach us through your
word that you would shape us as your
people and that you would continue just
to bind us together as the church a
group of people that want to be united
in Christ we know that you're at work
we've heard stories from our members we
see stories all around us but we want to
ask now that you would continue to work
continue the work in our own souls so
that we can apply your truth we can know
you more and our faith would be deepened
so we love you Jesus we pray this in
your name Amen all right so I'm excited
to have the opportunity to be teaching
this weekend grab your Bible turn to
first Samuel in chapter 20 we're gonna
pretty much say goodbye to Jonathan he's
going to make a couple of other
appearances once we work our way through
the rest of the book but this is kind of
in some ways and my
you this is Jonathan swan song as you're
turning there I just want to acknowledge
I do have an awesome mustache I'm aware
some of you may have opinions about it I
don't really care might be a joke that
turned into a dare but now it's here and
here to stay so get used to it all right
so here's what we're doing we're gonna
take a look at first Samuel but before
we do that I want to just highlight this
this idea that I think we're all dealing
with right now which is how do we how do
we endure last week I was pretty sick
that's why Matt taught last week I was
on the schedule to be teaching for the
weekend and just didn't work out I had a
pretty serious bout with diverticulitis
and it was in a lot of pain it was very
sick and some antibiotics pulled my fat
out of the fire a ton of antibiotics
actually and after about four days I was
sitting in the kitchen getting ready to
take my morning dose of antibiotics and
as I reached to take them and I thought
about they just make me feel bad I don't
like it I was complaining and whining
about having to take these antibiotics
and in a moment of realization I
realized what a baby I was being because
just four days before these antibiotics
were the thing that kept me from having
to go in the hospital and maybe even
have surgery and I stopped not like
Jesus I'm so sorry thank you for these
antibiotics and I just realized how
ungrateful I can become in a hurry and I
think that's true for a lot of us we
aren't in the habit of exercising the
muscle of glad-hearted submission it's
not not really ours ain't our gym we
don't have to think about doing things
that we don't like to do that much we
have a lot of freedom and and it struck
me that I think that's part of what
we're all struggling with as a church
couple of passages came to mind the
first one is from Romans chapter 5 I'm
just gonna read it Romans chapter 5
verses 3 through 5 we rejoice in our
sufferings knowing that suffering
produces endurance and endurance
produces character and character
produces hope and hope does not
disappoint because God's love has been
poured into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit he's given to us and so this idea
that we are
Jois when we're enduring something
difficult because it develops our
character it produces endurance it
develops our character now helps us to
lay hold of hope another text I thought
about was 1st Thessalonians chapter 5
verses 16 to 18 always be joyful always
in everything be joyful never stop
praying be thankful in all circumstances
for this is God's will for you who
belong to Christ Jesus has such a
comforting text because it tells us that
wherever we are we are not outside of
the will of God and so it doesn't matter
what decisions are made above us the
reality that flows downhill to us we
don't have to be panicked by that
because we can know that our Lord is
sovereign and he's over all of that and
I can rejoice and I wanted to just put
this thing back up here I didn't want to
do it but I'm gonna do it again I'm
gonna draw a circle of concern and
responsibility so our responsibility is
in the center of this our concern is
what's outside we are very concerned
about all kinds of things right now but
I'm going to tell you if you spend a lot
of time living out here and things that
you're concerned about but you are not
responsible for then you are not going
to get what God has for you in the areas
where you are responsible and many of us
are worrying about policy decisions and
we're reading articles and we're
thinking about all those things and we
don't actually have all the information
and we don't actually have to make those
decisions but we do have to make
decisions but every day about how we're
gonna honor God in our family in our
work how we're gonna adapt to the new
situations that we find ourselves in
what I want to admonish us to do as
God's people is to believe in his
sovereignty and then for us to rejoice
in his sovereignty that in whatever
comes to me he's in it and he has a
purpose for me in it that's good and for
me to just focus on getting my head down
and doing what I am responsible for
doing which we know first of all is at
least to rejoice in every circumstance
and to endure so less endure let's
continue to do that as we go through
some of the challenging circumstances
that we find ourselves in
alright First Samuel chapter 20 so let
me just summarize chapter 19 if you've
been paying attention you know we've
skipped it you read it if you're on the
reading plan this week there's some
awesome stuff that I
don't have time to do that I love so I'm
just gonna talk about it very briefly
and this is it
like David Saul wants to kill David
Jonathan talks him out of it he thinks
but then Saul's like now he's got to die
so this all goes to get him to try to
kill him David escapes gets outside the
city he flees to Samuel and Rama which
is where Samuel was living he's hiding
out up there with Samuel and Saul says
we got to go get him I want him dead he
sends 50 men the Holy Spirit comes on
them knocks him down makes them all
prophesy against their will so they go
from doing the will of Saul to
prophesying and speaking the will of God
God she's showing his power Saul says
I'll get 50 other men he says 50 other
men got that same thing to him finally
Saul says I'll repent no psyche he
didn't say that he doesn't repent he
said if you want to do something you got
to do it yourself
so he goes himself he goes himself after
God is stopped these 50 guys twice made
him say God's will instead of state
doing Saul's will Saul says I'll go do
my will myself he goes to get David
himself the Lord strikes him knocks him
down makes him lay naked on the ground
stripped of his outer garments probably
in his undergarments laying on the
ground and all day and night he speaks
the will of God against his will
God's just showing his power and Saul
does not humble himself under that but
David witnesses all of that going on and
in verse 1 we pick up now David has been
there all this is happening David fled
from Nyota and Rama and found Jonathon
what have I done he exclaimed what is my
crime how have I offended your father
that he's determined to kill me that's
not true Jonathan protested you're not
gonna die he always tells me everything
he's gonna do Jonathan's a little out of
the loop that seems right now he always
tells me everything he's gonna do even
the little things I know my father
wouldn't hide something like this from
me
it just isn't so let's just stop here
here's what I want you to see is going
on I think I think the text wants us to
read it this way is that both of these
men they're young men I think they're
both a person I just thought Jonathan is
naive but then I think there's actually
a second thing to see about
David David assumes that this has to do
with him he assumes that he must have
done something and there is some
immaturity in that that as I thought
about it I think it's really there David
and Jonathan both are humble but they
have a little bit of immaturity and let
me show you what I mean by that David
thinks that he's like what am i doing
he's protesting his innocence he's in of
all the things that he's done for Saul
he's fought all these battles for so
he's led he can't see Saul's perspective
he's out what have I done to deserve
this and the reality is we all know the
answer David hadn't done anything to
deserve this this deserve this that
everything do it David it has to do with
Saul and his relationship with God and
Saul don't want to be a part of what God
is doing and Saul wants to do what he's
doing and as a result of that David who
has God's favor is now a threat to Saul
not because of anything he's doing but
because of his very existence and
David's thinking is that he must this
must have something to do with me and so
he's protesting all of that for me I got
clear on this idea when I began to lead
and I didn't have pure motives when I
first began leading and doing ministry
which is when I was very young in my
early 20s while I was in college but I
began to realize people don't always
respond well to me and they don't always
appreciate my leadership on their behalf
and sometimes they take offense and
sometimes I realize it's my fault
because I was stupid and I was young and
I was arrogant and a lot of it was
unwilling arrogant so it was willful
arrogance but this is the thing I begin
to realize is even when I realized that
I was wrong and I would try to make it
right so I'm wrong I'm trying to make it
right I apologize I own everything that
I can own just so I begin to realize
there are people who then even though
after I'd done everything I knew to do
to try to make it right they were still
opposed to me who slandered me who said
crazy and moral things about me church
people it's crazy it was a huge
revelation to me and I was like what did
I do to make them so angry and over time
this is what I began to realize is
although they were in the church they
didn't want to do what God wanted them
to do and the fact that I was just
trying to do what God wanted me to do
was an offense to them because they
didn't they didn't want to get with that
and that's this real world for all of us
because for some of you you're trying to
be made right with your parents and
you've done everything you know to do
and you're carrying around a grief and
you're carrying around you're wondering
what have I done you're driving yourself
crazy you've owned everything you know
to own it you just can't make it right
and it may just be you have the aroma of
what God is doing and they don't want
that around them it's offensive to them
and you need to own all you can own and
you need to acknowledge how you can
acknowledge but at some point it may be
that you're just on mission and they're
not on mission and it's a threat to them
where we feel we it may be with some of
your kids sayings you may have been
parenting your kids you've done the best
you know how to do they get to a certain
point they just don't want to do what
God wants them to do and you're gonna
have to make a decision about whether or
not you're going to identify with God or
you're gonna identify with them and it
can help you in that decision-making
process if you DS personalize it say
this may not be about me this just may
be about God and they have a problem
with God so they just going through this
thing where he's wondering what what
have I done
Jonathan is naive Jonathan thinks that
because he convinced his dad in the
previous chatroom maybe he doesn't know
about everything that had happened we
don't really know about the chronology
and all of these things but either way
he's he's real confident that he can
work it out and that his dad wouldn't be
doing this and for for you you may find
yourself in a situation where if you
don't acknowledge the character of the
people you're dealing with you may have
confidence that's ill-founded you may be
stunned and heartbroken when people
behave in a way that's just consistent
with their character and that's what's
happening Saul is has his face
set against Yahweh and as a result of
that he's going to act in a way that is
consistent with that kind of opposition
to God and Jonathan just can't get his
brain wrapped around that Jesus deals
with us
shoo and Matthew in Chapter ten so we're
gonna take a look at that tax I just
want you to note it Matthew chapter 10
we see what maturity instead of cynicism
one things can happen to you is you you
can become cynical when you see how
other people respond you become real
negative you even become cynical Jesus
actually argues for maturity as opposed
to naivete or cynicism verse 16 says
this look I am sending you out he's
talking to his disciples I'm sending you
out as sheep among wolves
so be shrewd as snakes and harmless as
doves but beware for you will be handed
over to the courts and you will be
flogged with whips in the synagogue's
and so there's this idea that said the
root of this that if we are gonna be
faithful to God and in God and what God
is doing in the world that is going to
put us in a position of opposition the
people who don't want to do what God
wants to do and it's gonna feel personal
to us it's not personal but we're gonna
have to be shrewd we're gonna have to be
wise we're gonna have to decide who we
entrust ourselves to and who we really
depend on we have to understand that
we're on mission with him and everybody
else has an old mission with him so
David and Jonathan have this encounter
and then they realize that they've got
to figure out how to go from here
because David's in hiding and he doesn't
know what to do so they cook up this
plan that there's this big feast that's
coming and and they work out a way that
Jonathan can go to the feast and then he
can let David know what Saul's real
intentions that house all really feels
Jonathan is gonna feel soul out so to
speak and so as they're talking verse 11
come out to the field with me Jonathan
replied and they went out to the field
together and then Jonathan told David
he's trying to get David assurance that
you can trust me I know you're in a
tough spot Jonathan tells David I
promise by the Lord the God of Israel so
he's taking a vow he's letting David
know as surely as the Lord lives you can
trust what I'm getting ready to say to
you that by this time tomorrow or the
next day at the latest I just love that
Jonathan I'm trying to get it done
tomorrow if I can't
I'll get it done 24 or 48 hours 24 48
hours I will talk to my father and I'll
let you know how he feels about you and
if he speaks favorably about you then
I'll let you know
but if he's angry and he wants you
killed may the Lord strike me and even
kill me if I don't warn you so you can
escape and live may the Lord be with you
underline this in your Bible may the
Lord be with you as he used to be with
my father no stop right there for just a
second if one of the most poignant parts
of Matt's message that I had not seen in
the text quite the way I saw it when
Matt was teaching I thought it's very
insightful
in his last sermons where Jonathan takes
off all of his royal robes and he and he
he puts it all on David and what he's
saying is I'm giving out my right and my
inheritance I'm on board with you and
what God is doing with you and what
Jonathan is saying here is backing all
of that up in verse 13 may the Lord be
with you as he used to be with my father
what he's saying is may you have the
spirit to rule instead of me I just want
you to get that think about all that
Jonathan is giving up and so when we
talk about humbling ourselves underneath
the circumstances that have come to us
Jonathan had done anything wrong
Jonathan has been faithful to do all
that God called him to do Jonathan has
identified with God and his kingdom in
the ways that honor him he has even
stood up to his father he has suffered
for all of them done anything wrong what
Jonathan is doing is he's validating
God's will which cuts him out of being
the king and he's saying that God's
doing something with you and may God do
that may you have the spirit the way my
father used to have the spirit look at
verse 14 and may you treat me with the
faithful love of the Lord as long as I
live he said I need you to have my back
bro is you is you get this kind of power
is gonna be rough for me I'm asking you
to protect me but if I die treat my
family with this faithful love even when
the Lord destroys all your enemies from
the face of the earth now who are
David's enemies Saul's is primary enemy
so here's what Jonathan is
is he is identifying with God's plan
even to his own harm so Jonathan made a
solemn pact verse says verse 16 says he
made a solemn pact with David saying
may the Lord destroy all your enemies my
father the king and Jonathan made David
reaffirm his vow friendship again for
Jonathan loved David as himself now I
feel like a lot of the teaching that
I've heard over the years on this text
has to do with this really sweet thing
between David and Jonathan and that is
true there is this tenderness that's
there there's this deep appendix but I
don't want you to miss this right
Jonathan's loyalty as to what God is
doing not just to David personally and
Jonathan looks at David he sees God's
Spirit on him and he wants to be a part
of what God is doing it's not sentiment
here it's spiritual Jonathan wants to be
a part of what God is doing and even
though that means he's not gonna get
what he thought was gonna be his
birthright when he was a young man he
would rather be with God and what God is
doing even though it costs him then try
to hold on to what he has it's not just
personal even though they are best
friends there's this the loyalty to God
and what he's doing and we see that in
Jesus teaching in John chapter 14 verses
26 and 27 Jesus is talking to these
crowds and he says if you want to be my
disciple you must by comparison hate
everyone else now the text really says
you must hate the NLT there's a good job
of summarizing that and softening it for
English they would have understood it in
context and Greek and Aramaic but that's
what that text is saying Jesus is saying
it in a very dramatic way is that your
love for me is primary everything else
has to go your father your mother your
wife your children your brothers your
sisters
yes even your own life otherwise you
can't be my disciple and if you won't
carry your own cross and follow me you
can't be my disciple this is one of the
really difficult parts for us as human
beings of understanding
is that is that at the end of the day
the only thing that matters is God in
his glory and our lives have value
insofar as our lives participate and who
God is and what God is doing and there's
this act of humble submission that is
that the root of what it means to have a
relationship with God it's when we cook
up other religions and we cook up other
gods that are more palatable it's
because the God of the Bible he isn't
afraid to ask for anything and we're
gonna come back to you while we can
trust him if he isn't afraid how do you
trust Jesus who says you got to be
willing to treat your mom as if she's
not valuable that I got to be more
valuable to you than your parents how do
how do you trust somebody who's like
that we're gonna get to that but I want
you to feel the weight of this call and
even from a long time later Jesus is
making that call back to Jonathan in his
life because Jesus is the son of David
he's not son of Jonathan and is already
appointed the die is cast the Lord is
established this is the way it's going
to come it's going to come through David
and so before Jesus is ever born a
commitment to Jesus being King means
Jonathan and his progeny can't be king
and so Jonathan is demonstrating great
loyalty to God and his purposes as they
flow through David and here's my
question for us is how are you how am I
demonstrating loyal loyalty to God's
appointed king how are you doing that in
your life in these days that we find
ourselves in when we have some peculiar
circumstances which restrict us in other
ways but every restriction creates
another opportunity so there's some
peculiar unique ways in which God might
be calling us to demonstrate our loyalty
to his kingdom in our current
circumstances and the way we live our
lives and the way we date and the way we
work and the way we steward our time and
the way we steward our money and the way
we serve and who we serve around us who
we think about how we pray how we occupy
ourselves
when we have extra time on our hands and
we have some restrictions
how are you demonstrating loyalty to
God's King and you can't look at what
that means for somebody else you have to
think about it for yourself it's not
always crystal clear you can't compare
yourself to other people what this is
loyalty to to God being my King to his
kingdom in my current circumstances look
like and I can guarantee you it's gonna
look something like what it looked like
for Jonathan which is that he loved
David as himself is gonna mean that you
humbly serve other people as you would
like to be served and the challenge for
us when we're in difficult circumstances
is for us to be focused on the wrong
that's being done to us and how things
are not working out for us rather than
for us to humble ourselves and to
identify with someone else and their
difficulty and that's what Jonathan does
it's this particularly he loved David as
he loved himself he didn't think highly
he's not preoccupied with all that he's
giving up I mean there's a lot to be
grieved in mourning I'm sure Jonathan
grieved in mourning I mean thinking
you're gonna be the king and then not
being the king because your dad
disobeyed that's tough losing your best
friend having tension in that
relationship it's unbelievably difficult
he's losing all of these things but
rather than being preoccupied with
himself and what he's losing in that
moment he's loving someone else and
identifying with them that kind of
humility is a mark of discipleship so
Jonathan and David discussed further the
plan how they're going to work it all
out that's not really essential for us
but it involved Jonathan going back
during a time of feasting and he's gonna
feel his father out so he goes back he's
at the feast he asks his father you know
David asked me if he could go away and
be in Bethlehem they run this little
game and Jonathan says so I'll let him
go and in verse 30 I want you to Alder
in says that Saul boiled with rage at
Jonathan
and then he says something I'm just
gonna read it because in the text and
it's central to what the text is saying
so boiled with rage at Jonathan you
stupid son of a whore he swore at him do
you think that I don't know that you
want him to be king in your place
shaming yourself and your mother as long
as that son of jesse is alive you'll
never be king now going get him so I can
kill him
but why should he be put to death
Jonathan asked his father what has he
done then Saul hurled his spear at
Jonathan intending to kill him so at
last
Jonathan realized this is the grim
realization the death of Jonathan's
naivete right here at last Jonathan
realized that he was really determined
to kill David
so Jonathan left the table in fierce
anger and he refused to eat on the
second day of the feast for he was
crushed by his father's shameful
behavior towards David here again just a
lot I want to give Jonathan credit I
look forward to meeting him one day he
takes up David's cause he takes up an
offense his father calls him a son of a
whore
his father questions his manhood and his
desire to be king and in the midst of
all that rather than coming back it is
that about himself he owns the cause of
David and he's crushed by his father's
shameful behavior towards David not as
shameful behavior towards him I want you
to see all of that see that kind of
humility that kind of endurance he's
demonstrating but they don't want you to
see souls arrogance and how it makes him
a fool and Saul continues to be a
warning to all of us is that Saul
becomes his own worst enemy what is it
the Saul wants he wants Jonathan to sit
on the throne and even though Saul wants
Jonathan to sit on the throne he tries
to kill Jonathan in a rage because he's
given himself over he's striving after
control he kills the one who would be
his heir and he shames the woman that he
accuses his son of shaming you get that
he calls his wife a whore and then he
uses his son of shaming his moderate
mother in dishonouring her but not being
king this is what I want us to see is
that our desire to own and control
rather than to steward and to serve get
it our desire to own and control rather
than to steward and conserve will lead
us inevitably to a place of destruction
to a place where we are the instrument
of our own destruction I'll tell you if
I'm if I'm paranoid about anything in
this season in my life it's that I would
buy my own pride and laziness later in
life destroy the work that I've tried to
give my life to when I was younger the
reason I'm here to say well it's just
being paranoid
it may be I mean I got all kinds of
issue so maybe I'll talk to my counselor
about it but is what I tell you is that
it happens a lot happens a lot a lot of
people don't finish well they get lazy
in the middle of their life and they
don't deal vigorously with their sin and
then they get to a point where when life
kind of settles in and you get in a rut
and you're not being pushed out of it
and you have the freedom to be what you
really want to be they just get into a
rut and inevitably they undermine the
very things that they cared the most
about and spend their life trying to
build and so they invest in their
children their whole lives and then they
get towards the end of their life and
their children don't want to really be
around them because it's not any fun to
talk to them because they won't listen
they're too stubborn they're too
intractable they're not humble they're
not continuing to grow and have insight
and so because at some point they shut
down and they dug in and they were proud
and self-reliant and they didn't keep
re-upping and humbling themselves and
exercising humble dependence on God they
didn't continue to grow and so at some
point they just end up being alone and
they end up not having the kind of
relationships with those around them
that they want and they end up sometimes
destroying the very things they cared
about and they spent their life to build
that's why so many stories
movies plays drama throughout human
history have this tragic bent to them is
because it is a common part of the human
story and this all I want to say Saul
didn't have to be sole he chose to be
sole and he hardened his heart and for
us this is the thing I want to encourage
all of us you say well I mean I'm
clearly not soul and also I tell you
you're not soul if you're listening to
me here today you're probably not so few
of you probably are maybe but as I would
say the way you prove that you're not
soul is by putting that to death day in
and day out in the small ways it's by
humbling yourself when you have an
opportunity rather than striving after
ownership and control and trying to
assert your your authority in your
Dominus to humble yourself to come
underneath to have open hands to receive
from other people
that's what Saul couldn't do and at the
end it leads him to this place of
craziness where the son that he loves
who he knows could be a great king that
he wants to put on the throne he's
throwing a spear at him because he's
just been so consumed by his own sinful
pride so Jonathan execute on the plane
he realizes that this is where Saul is
this is where David is he realizes the
weight of the tragedy he goes out there
predetermined the place where they would
meet and the sign that you've heard
about and you've read where he's gonna
shoot a bow and so he does all of that
and he has a boy with him to go get the
arrows he's gonna chew an arrow from his
bow he's not shooting above so he shoots
an arrow from his bow and as soon as the
boy who went to get the arrows had gone
David came out from where he was hidden
this is verse 41
he'd been hidden near a stone pile and
David bowed three times to Jonathan with
his face to the ground and both of them
were in tears as they embraced each
other and they said goodbye especially
David and at last Jonathan said
David go in peace for we have sworn
loyalty to each other in the Lord's name
and the Lord is a witness of the bond
between us and our children forever and
then David left and Jonathan returned to
the town now for me my money this is one
of the most poignant scenes in Scripture
Jesus in the garden Jonathan David
saying goodbye for a whole bunch of
different reasons I just see just I'm
gonna linger here for a little while
and I want you to just kind of get the
feel of it so Jonathan who's given up
the throne for David willingly and he
sees the mark of God's favor on David
and he rejoices in it and he builds his
life around it when David comes out from
hiding and he realizes this is it I mean
I don't understand part of me is like
wanting Jonathan just run off with David
you know go be his right-hand man and be
a part of all that Jonathan didn't feel
like he could do that I trust Jonathan's
judgment at this point he's got better
judgment than I do so they know this is
the end and when David comes out he's
coming to the man who has given up the
throne for him and what does he do look
in verse 41 then David bowed three times
before Jonathan with his face to the
ground so here's the King and this is
the image this the King after God's own
heart he knows he's not better he knows
he's not earned this he knows this is
God's mysterious favor he's not proud
he's puffed up he comes before his
friend who's lost everything for him and
he knows he's lost everything for him
and was he do he prostrates himself
three times not once not twice but three
times he's he's humbling himself he's
he's acknowledging all that Jonathan has
lost and this is the thing that I would
tell you about friendship it's just an
aside on grief when you're dealing with
a friend who's lost something there's
such a temptation for you to try to say
something or to do something that's
going to fix that for them it's the
worst thing you can do don't do it
done it it's a reflex the best thing
that you can do is just own it with them
acknowledge it demonstrate that you
understand the magnitude as a loss the
fact that David's bowing before Jonathan
acknowledging him he's he's
acknowledging all that he's lost as the
king so here's the anointed king of
Israel bowing for the man who would be
king but who had didn't work out for and
he's humbling himself and they we they
embrace one another they acknowledge the
loyalty that's going to come up later in
the story the loyalty that exists
between them for generations and what I
want you to see in this text is what is
possible when we have this kind of
humility I mean more wars have been
fought over succession one of the great
things in human history about our
country is the fact that you have this
exchange of power without a war during
human history whenever the executive
whoever's running it King whatever Lord
Protector whatever the title was when
they died how do you have a peaceful
exchange of power and just throughout
human history more people died over that
I would guess than anything else I don't
know I don't know how to do the math on
it I'll just say a lot of wars have been
fought over that and here we have this
kind of love and this kind of peace at a
place where throughout all of human
history you just didn't have this going
on in the ancient Near East you don't
have it going on anywhere else for that
matter where when you have this kind of
humility real love is possible for one
to give up the throne and for one who
receives the throne to realize I'd do
anything to do this to honor the one who
humbled himself in sharing his grief and
then it's lost it is a beautiful thing
and what that produces is this kind of
unity and it reminds me I was just I was
going for a walk as I was kind of
letting the sermon just distill and
percolate in my soul and I got to this
part and I was moved to tears on my walk
thinking about all that Jonathan lost
and Davis love all that David lost in
this moment
and Psalm 133 came to a mind and I
thought I wonder if us a psalm of David
I think it is and I never connected the
dots in my head this is what Psalm 133
says I'm just gonna read it and it is a
psalm of David how wonderful and
pleasant it is when brothers live
together in harmony for harmony is as
precious as the anointing oil that was
poured over Aaron's beard that ran down
his beard onto the border of his robe
Aaron was the priest the idea is this is
where God's presence is where God's
power is where his blessing is harmony
or unity is as refreshing as the dew of
Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains
of mount mountains of Zion and there the
Lord has pronounced his blessing even
life everlasting
here's the idea this kind of unity this
possible where humility exists it goes
beyond any difficulty this is the root
of biblical community and this is where
God's blessing even life everlasting is
found is when people don't try to own
and try to hold and try to control but
when they steward and when they serve
and this is this is where for us is a
beautiful picture when Jesus asks us for
our very lives what it does is it puts
us in a position where rather than self
protecting itself promoting and trying
to do what's in my best interest I'm now
free to love other people because it's
not about me anymore
it's about godness glory and so I'm free
and what that does is it creates a
beautiful Society of people who love one
another and that's what we're called to
be as God's people recall to be people
who aren't holding onto things but who
are releasing things and then amazing
things are possible that arrest the
attention of the world when Francis
Schaeffer was writing years ago I was
reminded by a friend who's reading some
of his work he told about the fact that
the time is going to come when people
are no longer gonna care about logical
arguments for who God is he said the
great testimony of the truth of the
gospel is going to be the power of a
Christian family and if I could disagree
with Schaeffer a little bit I think he
missed it I think the the real reality
is of biblical community not just
the Christian family Oh Christian family
is an expression a biblical community
but of a local body of people who are
stewarding all their gifts and all their
talents and serving one another loving
one another
open handedly so that the one who wins
and the one who loses are equally
honored and valued and no one is
arrogant and everyone is humble now
here's the thing where did Jonathan
David where did they find the courage to
do this kind of thing this well tell you
the only way you get this kind of
courage is because you're confident that
God's plan is the right plan so let's
come back to the question that I had
earlier how can we be confident that
God's plan which involves my suffering
necessarily is the right plan I'll tell
you how you can be confident because we
have a surer image a clearer more
precise image than David and Jonathan
had we see Jesus exalted lifted up on a
cross we see the king the son of David
who came generation by generation got
architected to bring one into the world
who would live who would obey in our
place who would succeed where we have
failed and then who would bear the
consequence of our failure and share
with us the spoils of his success to his
own great harm when Jesus said deny
yourself take up your cross and follow
me all he was saying is I'm taking up a
cross for you I'm not asking you to do
anything that I haven't already done for
you and so we don't have to try to hold
on to anything because we know that no
matter how much we let go of no matter
what indignity we suffer he has already
suffered a greater indignity on our
behalf and he has promised that if he
can triumph over the indignity of the
cross that he suffered that he will
certainly raise us up with him and he
will share with us all the spoils of his
great victory over sin and death and
that frees us it frees us to be like
Jonathan and not hold on to what we
think we have and it frees us to be like
David and not think too highly of
selves and feel entitled it frees us to
have real love and unity and humility to
serve one another that's what God's
calling us to you and I pray God give us
grace to know how to do that let me pray
with us father in heaven I'm grateful
for your word for the clarity that it
brings to us for the ways in which it
cuts us for the ways in which it heals
us and we are grateful for the
demonstration of your love for us in and
through Jesus we are grateful for the
fact that he was willing to take our
place on the cross and that in whatever
sacrifices you ask us to make for one
another to serve to humble ourselves
you're not asking us to do anything that
you haven't already done in greater
measure than will ever be called upon to
do it and we have the sure and certain
hope that whatever we commit to you you
are able to keep it and you're able to
give it back to us with greater glory
and greater fullness than the shape in
which we handed it to you so Lord Jesus
would you give us confidence to believe
that and to rest in it we pray in Jesus
name Amen so now we have a chance to
respond to all we've heard lots of
challenging ideas for us as we do that
we're going to be singing a song that's
a new song that just tells the story of
the gospel and of the church and he
talks about just this idea of our
loyalty to the appointed king to the
king of kings and so I would encourage
you to spend this next song in just
reflection and beginning to respond to
what God has for us so this listen to
these words and worship beginning
you
in the darkness we were waiting without
hope with found line - from heaven you
came right there was mercy in your minds
to fulfill the law and prophets to a
virgin came the word from my throne of
endless glory to the cradle in the dirt
son
god
nasty praise forever to the key of G
to reveal the kingdom coming
to receive the
you didn't know
we
Jesus
you rubs all of her and held its breath
to that stone was smooth for good for
the lamb had conquered death and the
dead pose from
her to the king of gee
as we continue to sing and worship
together we'll take a minute and just
pray over us these words were written
from Psalm 138 so let's pray together
faithful God we come into your presence
with Thanksgiving deeply grateful for
the unfailing love and faithfulness you
have shown towards us your people when
we call out to you you answer when we
are exhausted you give us strength to go
on when we find ourselves in trouble you
were there standing beside us and so we
come before you with gratitude and with
praise offering you the worship of our
hearts in our lives
open our eyes to see and the know that
you are here among us open our ears to
recognize your voice and then send us
out from here to live and to work in the
world as your faithful disciples in the
name of Jesus Christ our Savior and our
Lord amen let's continue to worship cry
out to him
we worship Him
Oh
to see
our life is in his hand
here's a song we cry out in him
you and
and you came through iris
one of you
you
you answer
a new shade to my rescue and I
wanna pee we're huge
we call out to him
yes I call you answer
and you came to my rescue and
I wanna see you
here
and we sing from heaven strong
you came to us and said in your heart
upon the cross
no the sacrifice
for all our said until our shame
you took the nails into the car place no
one
you have to
one name and one name is her
one name is true
the net
the man
crisis Oh
Oh
you
you're
one day
crazy
we only say
Jesus Messiah
see you
our praise belonged Christ sings oh tato
we're all
well we're seeing this contrast between
humility and control it's really what it
is
it puts us in a position where we have
to identify ourselves as well but when
you see humility you see people that are
putting others needs ahead of their own
you see the unity it can bring you see
it so clearly in Jesus how he's done it
so perfectly and yet we have this
opportunity to be the church as well I
want to pray for the unity that God
could bring for us as well I do want you
to know that if you have any questions
even as you respond in faith if if there
are ways in which you want to talk with
someone talk with one of our ministry
staff or one of our pastors we have a
connect card you should go - hello grace
dot Church on your device you can
connect with us there we'd love the
opportunity to follow up with you pray
with me as we dismiss God we are
thankful that you would teach us you can
even use your word use this story but
use the history of exactly what happened
how you were working then and how
transcendent you are to bring your power
to bear now we're thankful that you
would shape us that you would show us
what it's like to humble ourselves the
God I want to pray that you would make
sure we are not self deceived you would
let us see ourselves accurately you
would show where we can put others needs
ahead of our own because you're worth it
you have sacrificed so much for us in
our response and faith or it is just to
follow you in full obedience
so we're overjoyed that we get to be
taught we get to worship you we do pray
that you would continue to sustain us as
we go Christ's name Amen
we'll see you soon
you
