DAVID and JONATHAN - A Heart After God | Part 3 - SERMON - Dr Michael Youssef

hello my friends welcome to the Church of the Apostles it's always a joy and a delight to know that people watching in China Australia England all over the world thank you for joining us [Music] everything I read of late indicates that we live in a time when genuine friendship becoming rare the level of loneliness has been a saw on the increase and social media that supposed to help us is making it worse true lasting loyalty and friendship is becoming few and far between I mean read the statistics and I'm not just building on statistics and that's why I thank God for the light in this place today most relationships are built on self-interest what can I get out of it not what I can give to it and that is why the story of a genuine godly selfless friendship between Prince Jonathan and young David is truly an uplifting encouraging story not long ago I read actually several years ago read a historic event a story from history it's an amazing story about Sir Walter Scott enough of us if you don't know the name I'm sure many of you do but if those of you don't know Sir Walter Scott was the leading literally figure in all of the British Empire it was said of Sir Walter Scott that no one could write like him sometime later the works of Lord Byron began to appear on the scene and it became evident to all who read that Lord Byron's work is now eclipsing Sir Walter Scott's writings now Lord Byron was a rascal and an immoral man but that's not what I'm talking about I'm talking about his writing his work soon after the work of Lord Byron began to appear in the scene and really cool that of Sir Walter Scott an anonymous critic began to write in the newspapers all over England began to write anonymously in a saying this literally clip critic was declaring that in the presence of brilliant writings and brilliant works of a poetic genius as Lord Byron Sir Walter Scott is no more his is no more effective his writing is no longer should be considered as the greatest of these writings by this anonymous critic continued for quite a while until it was discovered that this literally critic is not other than Walter Scott himself amazing generosity of spirit magnanimous spirit just like has been evident in the life of Jonathan which we read this morning I want you to think about this with me okay put your thinking cap on Jonathan was the oldest son of King Saul Jonathan was King Saul's heir apparent Jonathan was Israel's future King King Jonathan was the crown prince of Israel I want you to think about this because this is not just an ordinary friendship this is not just ordinary loyalty and commitment and yet when Jonathan saw God's hand of anointing to be on David he gladly submitted to him when Prince Jonathan recognized God's anointed man he committed himself to him Jonathan's deep spiritual sensitivity led him to humble himself before God's anointed now for our visitors and guests we began a series entitled the heart for God and if you have not been here in the last couple of messages you can download it we saw that the first characteristic of a person who has a heart for God is that he's available and we talked about God is looking for more more of an availability than ability because all abilities come from him and secondly we saw how a heart for God allows faith to overwhelm fear and you remember I said there is no such thing as a fearless person the difference is between those who allow fear to dominate them and those who allow faith to dominate their fear and today we're going to see this heart for God the heart after God's a man who was courageous without being contemptuous it's very hard sometimes to find a person who is truly courageous but not contemptuous think with me again think about this think of how easy it was for David this newly proclaimed hero how easy for him to feel cocky arrogant contemptuous and declare himself to be the wonder kid but none of that happened with David none of that why because David's faith was in God David Trust was in God David confidence was came from God and because he knew that his courage is not of his own but from God and God gave favor to David with all of the people and with the crown prince Jonathan but he did not have a favor with the king Saul I would you listen carefully in fact Saul wanted to kill David instead of thanking him for saving his hide listen to me there are many lessons here that we're going to learn so I hope that you even taking notes either mentally or write them down or on your iPhone or iPad because there's some wonderful lessons here from the word again and here's some of those listen are you listening say Amen the God who calls you to a task is the God who will equip you for the task the God who called you to a task is the very God who will use you even uses inconceivable people and events to fulfill his purpose for you to accomplish the task that he called you to do let me give you some other biblical examples in Genesis 39 21 we read that the Lord gave favor to Joseph with the prison keeper in Exodus 3 21 the Lord caused the Egyptians to have for Israelites to have favor with the Egyptians now that's what you call a miracle hello so much so that the Egyptians literally give these rods their wealth as they were leaving the country God is the one who gives a favor in Esther chapter 5 verse 2 it was God who gave Esther favor in the sight of the king I want you to listen please please please understand do not undermine God's favor in your life please do not minimize God's favor in your life please do not take God's favor for granted and think that all of your blessings and all of your successes are due to you and to your ingenuity why am I saying this because undermining God's favor in your life undermining it will always will always keep you in a state of arrogance but when you don't undermine that favor when you understand this favor when you comprehend this favor when you appreciate deeply continuously that favor of God is going to keep you humble before God the reason david's courage and victory never turned into contempt is because he knew that the Lord is my shepherd can you say that with me the Lord is my shepherd now beloved the reason we are seeing a rash of suicide among the celebrities and the rich and the famous is because they gave themselves all of the credit they really have a and and and this is not new it's always has been the case and we've seen it all the time multi-millionaire George Vanderbilt took his own life by jumping out of a hotel room a Lester hunt who is a governor of Wyoming twice and then was elected in the US Senate took his own life think of actress Marilyn Monroe or singer Elvis Presley or or writer Ernest Hemingway all of them the list goes on and on and on Y all have one thing in common in common they were dissatisfied with the worldly success and decided to take their own life but when you give God all of the glory all of the credit and recognize the favor of God you will live above the circumstances can I get an amen in fact back in 1966 one year before this great great brilliant physicist Robert Oppenheimer died here's what he said one year before he died I am a complete failure see when you do not only believe but also practice and whole hardly live in the fact that God is the source of all of your blessings he is a giver of every success you have you're not gonna despise yourself he's just gonna praise God David's success was great success by any standards we saw that in the last couple of weeks but you have to remember as I said in the big very beginning most people only know the two events in David's life his killing of Goliath and his adultery of Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah but there's more to David than this and we're gonna be seeing this for for many weeks to come David recognized that his success that his victory was of the Lord through the Lord and to the glory of the Lord question how do you view your success how do you view the blessings of God placed in your hands how do you how do you view them now I listen I know I've lived long enough to seen this a lot of people particularly in the church they give God lip service oh yeah you're all the blessings come from God and they're just gonna move on they live as if it's not really what they say and what they do are two different things look at verse four with me I hope you have your Bible open in front of you look at verse four I want to show you how easy it was for David so easy to feel enamored you know what I mean by that enamored by Prince Jonathan's recognition of his success man even the Prince Jonathan took off his princely robe with his armor and gave it to David you know what Prince Jonathan is doing here you know what he's doing he was taking off the insignia of his princely life in the palace he was taking off the armor of his professional profession as a warrior he was taking off whatever rights and privileges he had as a prince as a crown prince and willingly surrendering it to God's anointed I whoo I just hope that you see the enormity I know that in our regulatory and society and where everyone is equal in all this stuff we don't comprehend this this IIIi don't know how else to explain it this is enormous in in the context of the day so is that what's a big deal it's a big deal trust me when Jonathan gave David his sword and his bow these were the weapons that represented his responsibilities as second-in-command in the palace of the king not only that but Prince Jonathan also gave David his belt now you got to understand this belt this is just that's not a leather belt that he just took off and handed it to him this is the most prized possession for a wealthy warrior because in the bills they stored the this rich warriors kept their money and their treasure and that belt represented Prince Jonathan's wealth him you're out please listen carefully it doesn't matter how many times you say I love God I love Jesus it doesn't matter you can say it all day long without sharing your blessing that he has given you it's all talk without opening your treasure house a new treasure box and giving back to God's anointed Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ all of the sanctimonious talk will be just that talk back to David I sometimes go from preaching to meddling I'll go back to preaching but also meddling is good for your soul amen three of you agree after victory over Goliath every Paul in the land showed that if David runs for office he would get 90 percent of the vote that's right Gallup did it he said well how come well not only that the Crown Prince gave him allegiance and paid him homage and loyalty but David became extremely popular he really he became very popular with the masses I know in our culture we love heroes right somebody didn't kill a mouse oh he's a hero somebody risk that a cat where he's a hero I mean we're looking for heroes in every place if we can't find them we'll make them I'll move on I'm seeing a spirit of God is bringing conviction here but prior to the defeat of Goliath Israel was in such low state of morale I mean really you've got to understand it when you read the scripture there was there was so down below the ground and that is why that victory lifted them all up please listen to me if this has been a modern day occurrence now let me translate it into modern day okay if this was a modern day occurrence you would have seen David's face plastered all on every cereal box and on every billboard and every train station on the side of every bus the t-shirt manufacturing company couldn't keep him because of the demand the baseball caps manufacturing couldn't keep them in stock David David David but that comes at a price that comes at a price they're all King saw he sees all of this and he gets totally bent out of shape to put it mildly so what does he do you know the saying keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer that's what he did he kept him in the palace and he kept him under the thumb one day King Saul and David were going to Gibeah that's where they're from they're going to give you said that's that's sir Washington DC that's the capital city now that is 15 miles away from the Valley of Elah where the fighting was taking place where David slayed Goliath 15 miles away I mean you would think that the further away from the battlefield particularly those days when the news they did not have radio and television and but the news doesn't spread that fast but here they are 15 miles away and yet people knew what happened in the battlefield they heard the news as far away as Gibeah and then to everyone's surprise the women in town wrote and composed a song and it was number one hit in all of the charts it was I mean every desk jockey was playing that song it was that popular it went viral on Facebook and Twitter and YouTube I mean it was it was number one and the song went something like this no I'm not gonna sing it I don't even know the tune Saul has slain his thousands for David his tens of thousands how do you think Saul was feeling well he already heard it in the scripture I think smoke in the eye sand in the teeth wouldn't hurt that much than this and seeing that he was totally discredited in favor of Jonathan so when they arrived in the next town away from home town they found that the souvenir shops selling those t-shirts and david caps with the slogans like david did it I saw David do it David has my vote or don't blame me I voted for David to add insult to injury the manufacturing company began to produce David Dahl he knows well David the whole and and and David bobbing head some of my rascals colleagues in this place it would shall remain nameless there were an affair somewhere and and they saw Spurgeon dole bobbing head for sale so they brought me one I wouldn't touch that head out of respect for the man I don't let him Bob like that replicas of David's sling man I mean they were in demand every kid want to have one why I'm spending time exaggerating without really I'm not exaggerating my friend of mine said I'm just blowing it up so you can see it what why am I doing this well it's a reason for that it's a reason for that I want to communicate to you as much as you can in the 21st century the enormity of that said what's that success did for David and for the for Israel the enormity also of the anger and the bitterness of King Saul twice in chapter 18 of firsts m1 can you see them twice Saul's throw his spear at David wanted to kill him and twice God saved him instead of soul being grateful to David Saul wanted to kill him I know that many of you will understand what I'm going to say sometimes people that you help the most are the ones who turn on you what do you do you go to God you give him all of the glory and I'm going to show you here from the life of David remember the last message I told you that fear destroys your abilities fear destroys your dreams fear destroys relationships here you see fear blind soul blames him with insane jealousy so much so that he wanted to kill the very man who saved the nation please hear me right whenever you experience triumph in your life remember that remember when it comes I remember where you heard it you heard it from me whenever you have a triumphant life be ready because trouble will follow hello am I telling the truth trouble always follows at the heel of triumph the praise of the woman's song gave way to the pain that's all inflicted on David the popularity of yesterday led to dodging bullets today I want to tell you and this is true of life I know you know that it's it's true of life one day you'll be riding high and the next you having a hard time getting out of bed one day you're on top of this on you're on top of your proverbial world and then a few days later you down at the dumps one of the old Puritans put it this way listen carefully build not your nest in any earthly tree for the whole forest is doomed to destruction listen carefully people can praise you one day and then curse you the next day that's what people are fickle people generally are fickle they can lift you up one day and they can try to pull you down the next people by nature a fickle they will flatter you one day and then there were knife you the next people can thank you one day ignore you the next people can honor you one day and then dishonor you the next and this was true of Jesus on Sunday they said Hosanna Hosanna and then four days later they said what crucify crucify and that is why listen to me very carefully please if you switched off I want you to get back here I want to tell you absolutely the truth here the only person that you seek to please with all of your life is Jesus he never lets you down he never leaves you no forsakes you he was stick to you closer than a brother his friendship to you is for all of eternity and there is nothing that you can say or do that makes him stop loving you talk about friendship there is no friend like Jesus there is no companion like Jesus there is no comforter like Jesus there is no lover like Jesus and when you place your whole affection on Jesus you will find that people's praise or criticism are equal to you and that is why to David people's praise or Saul's hatred did not in bitter his spirit it didn't better his spirit his courage never give way to contempt oh he did some things and I'll be coming to this and I'm going to tell you he he he allowed his fear to take hold of him and I ran I went through the king of I Kish and I'll show you this yes but never never never one time he tries to take matters into his hands so what the soul do well for yell as he couldn't get her excuse me I only started when I speak he he realized that that he couldn't get rid of Davis so what does he do he puts him on the ticket as his running mate in Mex in vice president he actually devised a diabolical plan first he will try to get the Philistines to do his dirty work and kill David and everytime Saul said to David go on to get 100 Philistines he brings out 200 beloved I want you to listen to me please listen to me and take this to heart when you are in God's protection program you can be absolutely sure that nothing and no one will touch you or harm you when you have God's favor no matter who does what you are untouchable until God takes you home when you are when you are enlisted in the army of the Living God your command and chief will ensure that you are invincible until time to go home when you have God's anointing the enemy of your soul might huff and puff but you stand amen look at verse 12 with me look at verse 12 it's an amazing verse underline it if you have your Baba underline it write it out actually just just I want you to meditate on it not just for today or the week or the month I want you to meditate on it for the rest of your life because it's a powerful verse and soul was afraid of David think about this why because the Lord was with him and he departed from soul I wanted to think about this long long and hard soul the king with all of the regalia and the power of the King he was afraid of a shepherd boy think about it beloved when you are in with your Lord you have nothing to fear can I get an amen let me repeat that when you are in with the Lord you have nothing to fear in fact the very people who hate you we don't hate anybody but the very people who may hate you they will fear you the very people who plot against you will fear you the very people who set themselves as your enemies we don't set ourselves as enemies of anybody but those who set themselves as your enemies they will fear you the very people who resent you they actually standing in awe of you I'm gonna show you in the next message how David as I mentioned not one time in contempt try to take matters into his own hands oh my goodness why should he because he knew God is going to do a much better job listen to me David was contented to wait for God's timing I want to repeat that David was contented to wait for God's timing I've told you before and I'm gonna say it till I die because it's my testimony every time I mess up every time I get into trouble it is the time when I take matters into my own hands when I go ahead of the Lord when I don't wait for his timing when I don't wait for his program when I don't seek to serve his purpose in my life instead of trying to go to business for myself and do things my way King Herod powerful King all over Judea was terrified of a peasant by the name of John the Baptist why because of John the Baptist blazing integrity beloved listen to me when you walk in the righteousness of Jesus even those who do not fear God will feel you can you imagine that and that's really what the text is saying and so when that plan did not work out Saul came with the second plan Plan B second plan to get rid of David is that he reneged in giving his eldest daughter in marriage to David you remember last time the three times David would ask you know who what does the promise the King promised to give the one who kills Goliath and three times they tell him you know get his daughter's hand in marriage and tax holiday for life and and and fortune three things and the first thing was to have his daughter married to David but he reneged on that and he wouldn't let give him his daughter do you know what Saul is doing here most likely he wanted to provoke David into mutiny most likely he wanted to provoke David into rebellion he wanted to provoke David and give him the excuse to publicly execute him but I want you to notice what David said listen to me this man messed up royally and I we will see that but listen listen this is precious this is absolutely priceless Who am I to be considered the King's son-in-law the hero the one for whom everybody's singing the popular the popular most popular person in the land Who am I Who am I beloved the scripture is very clear God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble the Lord Jesus himself said learn from me for I am meek and lowly in heart I'm gonna come to an end very shortly but I want to prepare our hearts to come to this table of the Lord and I don't want you to walk with your bitterness with your anger and with your frustrations with everything that you carrying I want you maybe to come down and then place them at the altar I want to prepare your heart I will prepare my heart and whether you heart in this here in this beautiful sanctuary or watching around the world people watching all over the globe sometimes live sometimes on the archive the next day I want to speak to that person who may be just now tempted to take things into their hands I want to speak to that person who want to settle accounts his or her way I want to speak to that person who's moved into the driver's seat and pushed God out into the passenger seat I want to speak to those who are getting tired of waiting and they want to do something wait for God's timing his plan for your life is far better than you can ever imagine and I'm so glad that I can stand here those many years later and testify my plans were rocky they would have got me dead by now God's plan is much better don't be tempted to sin in your heart because you have waited and God has not answered you yet he's the word yet someone here or watching around the world might be tempted to make the clock strike before the hour are you listening to me listen carefully I know I'm speaking to someone I don't know who but I'm now I'm speaking somewhat to someone so listen to what I'm going to tell you trust in God's timing not yours do not please I'm pleading with you I have no authority other than the Word of God do not let your impatience and haste bring you trouble instead of triumph be like jonathon hand over your armor to God's anointed Messiah can you do that today like jonathon hand over your belt the source of your inner security give it to Jesus you'll give you greater security than you ever hope like Jonathan recognized the savior of your life like Jonathan surrender what you perceived to be yours and just watch out and see what God will do listen I say this and it's not just my testimony and the hundreds of you can testify to this are you ready are you ready to give it to God and trust him with all of your heart let that be the prayer of your heart as you walk down these aisles and participate in the very bread and wine that represents the flesh and the blood of the Lord Jesus that was torn and shed for you on the cross gave us the most nobody could give any more than that the perfect sinless son of God died for you and as Paul said will he not will he not give us all things will you pray with me I ask you to stand in respect and honor to God's anointed Messiah the Lord Jesus in the privacy of your seat if you're a person who had never received Jesus as Savior and Lord this is a great opportunity to say Lord I know I've been missing out on all of this knowing that my sins are forgiven that I have a place at the table with you and you can do that now for those who have known the Lord for so long maybe a short time in carrying these huge burdens because they feel it's up to them to make things happen their lord help me to trust you and trust your timing father God we are truly a privileged people with all of our sins and failures and foibles and weaknesses you love us and you call us by name and your son Jesus gave His life so that he would make it possible for us to call you Abba Father you know every heart you know where every person is spiritually emotionally physically in every other way Holy Spirit would you minister to each of us and then give us the courage to dump it all on Jesus because he already took it all on the cross on his precious cross before we pray this in Jesus name Amen let's remain standing as we sing together thanks Paul [Music] thank you so much for watching and for being part of this worship time it is our prayer that God would use this time to bless you but also we want to hear from you if you've never been in touch with us why don't you contact us we love to hear from you god bless you have a wonderful week [Music]

Channel: The Church Of The Apostles

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Keywords: Sermons by great preachers, testimonies of christians, jesus christ, leading the way, Dr Michael Youssef, The Church of the Apostles

Id: UTjLj8mELvU

Length: 39min 49sec (2389 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 20 2018