Okay, go back with me to 1 Samuel
30. Let's read a few verses again. It's 1 Samuel 30. Let's read the first four verses
again. It came to pass when David and
his men would come to Ziklag on the third day. The Amalekites
invaded the south of Ziklag, the city where they had been
dwelling. burned it with fire, all their
earthly possessions. They took the women, captives
that were therein, slew not any, great or small, carried them
away and went on their way. David and his men came to the
city and behold, it was burned with fire, everything lost, and
their wives and their sons and their daughters taken captive. They didn't know what happened
to them. I'm quite sure they greatly feared. what these men
were going to do with him. And David and his men, the people
that were with him, lifted up their voice and they wept until
they couldn't weep anymore. But in Adam verse 6 it says,
David was greatly distressed, the people spoke of to make a
stone in him that everyone was so grieved for his sons and daughters,
but David encouraged himself and his God. Now I don't know how, but I just
believe it's going to be alright. Would you weep with me for our
sons and our daughters? And maybe you ought to do something. Half of this book, 1 Samuel,
and all of the next book is about David. About David. He's a real
man. He's a real man. in a real world,
and buddy does he have real problems. Do you know that he had nothing
but problems in his house? His sons, daughters, sin, enemies
all around him. But David believed God. David
belonged to the Lord. The Lord chose David, revealed
himself to David. God loved David. He said so.
And David loved God. He said so. And he followed the
Lord, believed the Lord, until the day he died. But he went
through so many deep troubles. You know why you and I love the
Psalms so much? Because David is not only a man
after God's own heart, but he's a man after ours. We can relate
to the troubles and trials that he's going through. Alright,
David is in a place where he shouldn't have been. And he knows it. He shouldn't
have been in Zikla. He shouldn't have left. He was
fearful. Now, he was afraid. He shouldn't
have been. God had promised him, David,
you're my king. You're going to reign. You're
going to reign in Jerusalem. You have nothing and no one to
be afraid of. In fact, he wrote psalms to that effect, didn't
he? Of whom shall I be afraid? Of whom shall I fear? The Lord
is my salvation. But David was afraid. He said,
Saul's going to kill me one day. And he ran. Where did he go to?
Out in the world. And he ended up in this place,
Ziklag, where he shouldn't have been. Among the Philistines. But the Lord is not going to
leave him there. That's not where he belongs. That's not his city. He belongs in the city of David.
He belongs in Jerusalem, okay? How's the Lord going to bring
him out of that sickling? He's going to destroy everything
he has. He's going to bring him in great
distress. And every one of God's people,
we live in this world, we're not of the world. We live in
this Sodom, don't we? We live here, but we're not of
it. But often we act like we're of it, don't we? Often we act
just like them. Often we rub shoulders, David
in the previous chapter, acted like he didn't even know God.
He was allied to, for a little while, some of these, the enemy. Well, God, in great mercy, you
know how God is bringing him out? He turned his enemies against
him. In the previous chapter, he turned
his enemies against him. They said, you're not one of
us, get out of here. And then he turned his own house against
him. In this chapter, he says his
own men spoke of stoning him. Didn't they? This is your fault
that we're in this mess. That's what they thought. That's
what they felt. And that David felt that way
too. They wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. They wouldn't
be in this mess. My sons and my daughters wouldn't
be captive if I hadn't brought them down here. I'd have left
them where God's people are. Anybody feel that way? I'd have been a better father, a
better mother. Huh? If I really bring my children
up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, if I really spoke
to them about the Lord and told them not to fear man, but to
fear the Lord and seek His face, if I'd really been a better witness,
a better priest in my house, we wouldn't be in this mess.
Anybody? Everybody. Every one of us feel
that way, don't we? But David encouraged himself. in his God. What do you mean?
Here's what he said. I'm a sinner, and I haven't believed
in God like I should. And I'm in a place where I shouldn't
be. But somehow, this is of the Lord, that God did this. And all things work together
for good to them that love God. He said so. He told me that's
in His work. It's going to be well. It's going to be well.
And I've procured all this. I've brought all this on me.
But God is rich in mercy. And I just believe my God is
for me. He's not against me. And that
all this is somehow going to turn out for my good and His
glory. And He encouraged Himself in
the Lord. And He encouraged His brothers too. Brethren, we wait
for our sons and our daughters. We wait for our wives. Let's look to the Lord. And when
David said, you know what that ephod was? You know what the
ephod was? It's the high priest's garment. It's that high priestly
garment that the high priest alone wore. And it had these
big onyx stones on the shoulders with all the names of the children
of Israel on it, okay? And that's what the high priest
would put on him, robe himself with, and go into the Holy of
Holies, and offer up that blood on the mercy seat, and pray for
the children of Israel, the people of God, those names on his shoulder,
and offer up that atonement. What David is saying is, God
be merciful to us sinners by the blood. Let the blood be propitiation
on the mercy seat for us. We're all sinners. Have mercy
upon us. What David was doing was calling for the truth, calling
for the Word, calling for the promises of God, calling upon
God for mercy. That ephod represents this gospel. You know what we're doing here
this morning? We're praying that the Lord will robe us and our
children with this gospel. I am, as it were, wearing or
preaching this ephod, this gospel of God's particular redemption
for a particular people. And this is what we can encourage
ourselves concerning our lost captive sons and daughters and
maybe spouses. Lord, let the blood be propitiation
on the mercy for them. Lord, would you have mercy on
my son, my daughter. Would you bring them out of captivity? Would you leave captivity captive?
Would you take hold on them, please? They're captives. You
know, some people are captives and like it. When you think about the children
of Israel in Egypt being in captivity, every one of them weren't in
the slime pit. Some of them were servants in the house. Some of
them had pretty good masters. Some of them worked for people
that were probably pretty generous with them. They gave them the
run of the house. And they began to like Egypt. They liked that. And somebody told them, we're
going out of here. I don't want to go. You're in captivity. No, I'm not. I'm fine. And that's a world of people
in this world. In captivity to the God of this world who uses
the things of this world to hold them where they're in love with
this world. That's captivity. You can be
in prosperity and be in complete captivity and like it and not
need Christ, not need this gospel. That's a world of people. David represents all of God's
people. And the way the Lord was bringing
him out, the way the Lord brings His people out, turning everything
and everyone against them. Even your own house. A man's
enemies, our Lord said, shall be those of his own household.
His own brethren turned against him and said, we're going to
kill you. But David encouraged himself
in his God, but not before he had wept all night. Jeremiah said this. He said this
to all the people, especially the mothers. He said, call for
the women. Jeremiah was in Babylon when
he wrote this, in captivity himself. And every one of us are in this
world. I'm in this world. And often, yea, all the time,
I feel like I'm in captivity to the God of this world, to
the things of this world. In vain we strive to rise out
of these bonds, don't we, out of these slime pits. Hosannas
languish on our tongues and our devotion dies. Huh? Anybody? Captivity? The things
of this world? Are you having a hard time listening
to this message right now? Why? What is it you're thinking
about? The world. David is going to destroy all
the Amalekites. Yes, he is. He ain't no fairy
tale. And the Amalekites were all living
it up. Look what we have. All the while,
David is angry. He doesn't love them. He's going
to kill them all. But he's got a bride in there.
He's got two. He's got friends. He's got his
people in there. He's going to get them and bring
them out and destroy the rest. Right? Jeremiah said, Jeremiah
9, listen to this, he said, he said, call the women, the mourning
women, let them take up a wailing for us. You remember the Lord
coming down, walking up the hill, carrying his cross, and the women
were weeping for him. You remember what he said? He
stopped. He said, don't weep for me. But,
he did say it, weep for yourselves and for your children. Why? You're
in captivity. He said, you women, hear this
and teach your daughters. Jeremiah said, teach your daughters
wailing. Every one of them. Your neighbor, lamentation. Teach
them lamentation. Let their laughter be turned
to mourning. It's better the house of mourning than the house
of laughter, isn't it? That's what he said. He called
for the women. We're in captivity. Called to do what? Pray to God. Bring the ephod." And they did. David did. And
the men did. And they all wept. And they all
called on the Lord. What happened? They got their
daughters back. I mean, Margaret, they really
were praying and crying until they couldn't cry anymore. You
know what happened? They got their sons back. They did. They really did. Anybody here got a lost spouse?
Wife? Captive? Doesn't know it? Son or a daughter? I think about
your sons and daughters all the time. I pray for them all the
time. I know you do. I know you do. Let us take up
a wailing and tell the Lord. And don't quit until the Lord
brings them out. Now here's the story. Here's
the story in the stone. This is why this was written.
I said half of this book is about David and all the next book,
well I'm here to tell you that all this book and all the next
and all the previous book and all the ones that follow it are
about the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what this story, that's
who this story is about. Son of David. He said they are
they which testify of me. Son of David. It says the Amalekites
had smitten the Ziklag and burned it with fire. Isaiah 1. We might
just go through the Isaiah. I'm thinking seriously now. When
he talks about Israel and the people, the first thing he says
is the whole head is sick, the heart is faint, they're in captivity
to sin and so forth. He says the city's burned with
fire, burned up with lust, burned up with passion, burned up with
covetousness, burned up with greed and just burned up. And
in Isaiah, Brother John, the whole book is about a redeemer
coming. Somebody's coming. Who? He put on righteousness
like a breastplate. Helmet of salvation, a sword
in his hand. What's he doing? Is this a fable? It's real. He bathed his garments in blood.
Do you think David was bloody after this battle? Was this violence? You've got
to take it. He's not asking anybody. He's
going to take it. But if you belong to him, if
one of your sons or daughters is captive, you want David violating
their will. Don't you? You want him to do
an act, a strong work. It's going to take a strong work
to bring your son or daughter out here. It's going to take
a strong work. Something stronger than this world, something stronger
than the God of this world, something stronger than that which is in
them called sin. It's going to take somebody who's
a mighty warrior, a mighty captain. I'll tell you what, if you were
Abigail, you'd want David coming after you. When I say things like this,
that he's a man's man, Feministic woman in here. I hope nobody's
got that. I hope none of our women have
those tendencies. When I say a man's man, I mean
somebody that is both meek and yet strong. Somebody who is both
gentle and yet don't cross him. Somebody who will serve you and
yet you know he will protect you. He will save you. And He's got all might and all
power. Somebody you can follow. Simon
Peter is not going to follow just anybody, is he? Simon Peter? Uh-uh. But when the Lord Jesus
Christ, a man's man, came around, Simon followed Him. He's stronger
than me. He's wiser than me. He's better
than me. He's more merciful than I am.
But I want to be behind Him. Because I can't do anything. I thought I was strong, but I'm
not. Now, he's strong. So here David comes, his men,
they come to this city, it's burned with fire. His wives and
daughters were taken. Our Lord Jesus Christ came from
glory, sent by the Father. In a covenant of grace, like
David put on the ephod, our Lord Jesus Christ, the great high
priest, Forever after the order of Melchizedek, with the names
of His people on His shoulder, in a covenant with the Father,
Brother John, this really happened. It really happened. His people
taken captive to God of this world. And God says to His Son,
Go. Pursue. Without fail. Isaiah 52, My servants, ye shall
not fail or be discouraged. This is where the types don't
work. David was distressed. Our Lord
was never distressed. David wept over a feeling of
helplessness. Not our Lord. He was never even
discouraged. He set his face like a flint.
And he came sent by the Father to do what? Take my people. Take my people out. Deliver them. Loose the prisoner. Take captivity
captive. Rescue your bride. Bring her
home. Bring her home. It's going to
take blood to do it. And unlike David, David didn't
lose his life. None of these men lost their
lives. Our Lord lost his life. Oh, no, he didn't just lose it,
he laid it down. He laid it down. And our Lord did encourage himself
in the Lord his God because he lived by faith like a man, as
a man. And he did, always. He never
had weak faith. He never. He had to believe God
for us. And he never was discouraged. Always encouraged himself in
his God. God sent me. I must be about
my father's business, he said, from a 12-year-old boy. And then
hanging on the cross, he said, I did it. I finished it. And the Lord said, pursue. Without
fail, you shall Recover all. You know, we lost everything
in Adam. In Adam, all died. We lost it all. We lost the knowledge
of God. We lost communion with God. We lost the way. We lost the
truth. Men don't know the truth. Not even seeking the truth, Isaiah
said. We lost life. We lost our life. We lost our
soul. Alright? Jesus Christ. In Christ
shall all be made alive. All whom Christ came for. Those
names on His shoulders, engraved on His hands, on His breastplate,
in His heart. He came, sent by the Father to
rescue every one of them. To restore unto them all that
they lost at Adam. Second Adam from above. Reinstate
us in Thy love. And He did. Christ came to restore
the way, the truth, and the life. And all those three are one.
Jesus Christ. And then with a sword, he took
his wife's captive back from captivity by slaying the enemy. This story of David, how did
it begin? How did we begin this story of David? It began as this
unknown king, as a young man, unknown to anybody, but he's
God's king. God said so. God brought him
out and said, this is he. Rise. Bow. This is he. He's just
a boy. Bow. This is him. And then we hear, Brother John,
we hear the story of what David said, I went out after one little
lamb. All this time he'd been keeping
a few sheep. And one time he went after, he
left the ninety and nine and he went after one, Sister Bethany.
And you know what he did? He slew a lion. A bear. And he got that one sheep back.
Oh, he never lost a sheep. This is who you want coming after
you. This is who you want coming after your son, after your daughter,
don't you? He will not fail. And if he has
his eye set on that one of his love, he's going to get them.
You see, this is what we're doing. This is why we call on Him. We
can't take them back. We can't rescue one of them.
I can't. This is why prayer is the principal
part of worship. Lord, save us. I'm here to tell
you about He who can save and must save, but I can't save,
but He can. Let's call on Him, shall we?
Seek ye the Lord. Everyone, old and young, call
on Him while He's near. He's near where two or three
are gathered. Call on Him right now. But I'm not in captivity. Yes, you are. I am. I live in this world. I'm a man of like passions with
you. As soon as I hit that door, you know what's happening to
me? Look at this. Look at that. Isn't that pretty?
You know, all that religion can wait. Go after this. Huh? If Christ doesn't take hold
of me, and the way He does it, Brother
Wesley, start taking things away from you. And I'm glad because they'll
get a hold of me. Do they get a hold of you? You're
lying if you say they don't. We're in Babylon. And folks,
religion is the worst. How do they appeal to us? Who
are Malachi? Who are they? Esau's people. Jacob's brother. Kin. Family. Family! And they came down, this
big huge army of people, the northern army if you will, came
down south and invaded everything in their path. Who'd they take? Women and children. Leading captives, silly women.
That's religion. They took everything in their
sight. They didn't just smack Zik like. They took the land
of the fleece. They took everybody, women and children. That's religion. And when this thing was done,
they were all laying on the ground having a big time, laughing and
dancing. That's why I say, I told you
my pastor never smiled when he was on the TV. He's preaching
to a bunch of dying sinners out there, who are laughing and dancing
and carrying on, but nothing to worry about. Oh yes, there
is too. Your son, your daughter, right now, if she doesn't know
the Lord, right now, as I speak, if she doesn't know the Lord,
if she dies tomorrow, where will she be? Huh? Don't be so serious. Encourage
us, preacher. And I'm going to, okay? Alright. But you won't seek the Lord unless
you're lost. You won't find the Lord unless
you're lost. You won't call on the Lord unless you're in distress
like David. No, you won't. And that's the
first thing the Lord's got to do to us and our children. Well,
alright. Here comes David. And here came
our Lord. He came to this earth to find
his own, to find them all. And I never looked at this Egyptian
that he found. What's that all about? I never
dealt with that. What's that all about? He found
this fellow in a field. He's starving. He's dying. He's
an enemy. He's an Egyptian. He's captive
to the Amalekites. David found him. One little fellow,
he's insignificant, we don't need him, no, but David's going
to save him. What did David do? Gave him something
to eat. Bread, and wine, and fat kid, and spoke with him. And the man said, please don't
kill me. I know who you are. I've heard
of you. Would you please have mercy on
me? You know what David did? He did. He swore unto him, I
won't kill you. You go with me, you live. If I turn you loose back to that
Amalekite, back to that, if I leave you alone and you go back to
the Amalekite, I'm going to kill you. Isn't that right, brother? One little Egyptian. Buddy, he's
singing David's praise, isn't he? One little Egyptian. There's that. Alright, when David
came, verse 16, he came. They brought him down there.
Behold, they were spread abroad on the earth eating and drinking.
On the earth, that's where we all are, eating and drinking
and dancing. Because of all the great spoil
that they'd taken. I didn't quote it to you,
but over there in Jeremiah 9 it says, the reason Jeremiah prayed
and told the women to cry the mourners. He said, we're all
spoiled. So he said, we're spoiled. And I look at this nation and
there's never been a more affluent, spoiled generation in the history
of the world that's doing nothing but laughing and singing and
dancing when we're in danger. And it's going to happen. It's
happened to every major city and kingdom in this world. It's coming down. It is. It's got to. But, like David. He's taking his wives
out. He's taking his sons and daughters
out. Where's he going? Jerusalem. They're going to end
up in Jerusalem. They're going to end up in Zion. They're going to end up in the
city of God. Where? With David. What are they going
to have? Everything. He's not going to
lose a thing. All the possessions stuff. David
wasn't worried about that stuff, was he? It burned up. He knew
it was going to be burned up eventually. All of it. He's not
worried about that stuff. He didn't come... Christ said,
My kingdom's not of this world if it were, we would fight. This
is not... He came to rescue his wife, not
the stuff. Our Lord didn't need any of that
stuff. He came here for a people. People. Oh, and then so he came. David came. It says in our text,
it says there, verse 7 to 30, verse 17, that David smoked them
from the twilight, even in the evening of the next day. There
escaped not a man of them, say four hundred young men that fled
on camels. David came down, and he slew all of his enemies. and their enemy. Now, our God,
Hebrews 12, 29 says, is a consuming fire, is it? People think that
God of the Old Testament, who sent Joshua and Moses and Gideon
and all of them to slay people and all that blood and everything,
is different. He's different in the New Testament.
He's nothing but love and mercy and grace. I'm here to tell you,
God is love. Oh, greater love, no man in it.
God is mercy, delights to show mercy. God is grace, yes. But this is no contradiction.
Hebrews 12, 29 says, our God is a consuming fire. But if you're
in Christ, oh, God loves you. God is merciful. God is gracious,
like the ark. The love of God was in the ark.
The love of God is in Christ, okay? And that's why I'm just
saying, preaching Christ. You must be in Christ by faith. How do you know someone's in
Christ? They need Christ. They talk about Christ. Christ
becomes their life, not the world. Christ becomes their life. They
get in this baptismal pool and they tell everybody, I now know
who Christ is. I now need Christ. Christ is
my life. Oh, they're going to be out in
the world. They're going to act like the world. But if Christ
is in their heart, He's their life. Gradually, the older they get,
all this stuff, like grave clothes, begins to fall away, fall away,
and they realize fully, more fully each day that, you know,
this world is going to be burned up and everything. But Christ,
but Christ is my all. He's all I need. Is that the
way you feel? It's true. Get it? Our Lord is
coming. Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming.
Why? Well, it's the scripture says. He's going to take his people
out. First thing. First thing. The trump shall
sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. We're going
to see all our brethren. Now I can smile now. You listen
to this. Listen to this. Abigail. All
right, Abigail's down in that, held captive. This happened. She's held captive. Is she afraid? Yeah. Is she afraid for her daughters?
Yes. But you know what she thinks?
She heard a rumor. But she knew David. She knew
her husband. She'd seen him kill that Goliath.
She'd seen him destroy Philistine. She'd seen him. She was with
him. She wandered with David for a few years before this.
She left everything. Abigail left that place where
Nabal was. She left all that. Why? To be
with David. He became her all. She didn't
need all that stuff she used to have. She's now with David.
Okay? She knew him. She loved him. The more she was
around him, the more she loved him and trusted him and believed
in him and depended upon him. She loved David and he loved
her. He's not going to let anything
happen to her. Okay? She's taken captive. When you
mess with David, you mess with the wrong man. You take his wife,
you're going to answer for it. That's what I'm saying a man
is. Alright? And she knew that. And
she hoped and prayed in her heart to the Lord, send my husband. Lord God, send David to rescue
me and my daughters, my sons. My neighbors, my friends, Cindy. They did. And all that while
she's in captivity. How long were they held captive? I don't know, but I tell you,
I believe that this probably happened. As she began to tell
those Amalekites, fellas, you're in trouble. You reckon? Do you know who I am? I'm David's
wife. Oh, I'm a nothing to nobody.
But my husband, now, I belong to him. Now, my husband
is a warrior. You ever heard of him? Sure you
have, everybody. But my husband's merciful. My
husband's gracious. Oh, you fellas, here's what you
need to do. Lay your guns down. Lay your shorts down. Everybody,
right now. Prostrate yourself on the ground
and start calling on David's God. And when he comes, you'll
live. You reckon she said that? Yes. And if any Amalekite had asked David for mercy, he'd
have shown him. That's what kind of man he was. And so he came. He came. And he did exactly what the scripture
said. And it says in verse 18, he recovered
all. And rescued his two wives. David
recovered all. The Lord makes this story sound
like David did it all. Why? David had help. He had a bunch of men with him,
didn't he? Four hundred men who were wielding swords and going
after him. But it says David did it. Why?
Because he represents Jesus Christ. And he did it all. Nobody helped
him. He really did do it all by himself,
for our sin. Rescued everyone, a stronger
than our captives, a stronger than sin. He overcame it all. He came and got them all. And
that's why it says this is David's spoil. It all belongs to him. For this end Christ was both
buried and rose again and revived that he might be Lord of the
dead and the living. The earth is the Lord's and the
fullness thereof. The world and they that dwell therein. Jesus
Christ owns it all. Bought and paid for, it's his.
It all belongs to him. Everybody in it, but especially
his bride. His bride. Let me tell you a
story, a true story. and I quit. What I just told you is a true
story. 1945, during the World War II,
just the end of it, the Japanese had taken American, seized the
island of the Philippines. That's where my dad went to Japan
to fight them, the Philippines. The Japanese took the island
of the Philippines, capped it. And they had 513 American prisoners
brutally, brutally treated in a prison camp in the Philippines. 513 American prisoners. The United States government,
under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur, devised a
plan, came up with a way. They were going to send somebody
in to rescue those men. They called upon a man noted
for his bravery, noted for his wisdom, noted for his courage,
noted for his conquest before this. His name was Henry. Last
initial M. Isn't that ironic? Henry Moosey,
Italian immigrant, who was a colonel in the army. Hero already before
this. A man tried and proven. They
sent Henry Mucey with 128 soldiers to that island to rescue 513
prisoners against over a thousand enemy soldiers. Still to this
day, it's called the greatest rescue in wartime history. Henry Mucey with 128 men went
in against overwhelming odds and rescued 513 prisoners. 513 of them came out alive, every
single one of them. That's a great story, isn't it?
Whose praise do you think 513 prisoners were praising? Who
do you think they were talking about on the way home? Henry
Newsome. Oh, I love that man. He rescued me. They didn't say, I got saved.
They said, Henry saved me. And they've decorated that man,
the President and the Congress and all, gave him the highest
medals in the land. Wow, he deserves it. Henry saved
him. Not one of them was lost. That's
a great story, isn't it? There's a greater one than that. And this Henry's been preaching
it. And now this fellow's preaching it about a great Redeemer who
came to this earth This slime pit. The rescue of
people as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore.
And He did it. Every one of them. Not one is
lost. Without fail. He has, He is,
and He shall recover all. Why? Because this is Jesus Christ's
glory. It's His spoil. Why do we preach
Him? Why do I do this? Why do we keep
talking about Christ? Well, if He rescues you, you
won't be asking that question. If He really saves you, you won't
be talking about anybody or anything else but Him. That's a fact. That's a fact. Stand with me. Our God in Heaven, we thank You,
thank You, thank You for Your Word. It is your glory, it is
your voice, it is your power. Let us not sleep the sleep of
death, O Lord. Let us not lie on this earth
eating and drinking and laughing and dancing. But let us call
upon our Lord. You are surely coming again very
soon. Your people, like Abigail, say,
oh, come quickly. Come today. Take us all. Some, under the sound of my voice,
and all over the land, are still in captivity and don't know it,
might even like it. We ask, we beg you, Lord, please,
send the Son of David, send the gospel, send the sword into their
hearts, into their souls. Arrest that man, arrest that
young girl, that boy. Arrest them, Lord. Show them
the danger. Show them Christ. Let them call
on the name of the Lord. save their soul we pray in Christ's
name for his glory and honor we've done this this day amen
you're dismissed