Good morning. Would you turn
to 1 Samuel chapter 23? Beginning in verse 1, I want
to read the first five verses. Then they told David, saying,
Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah. And they rob
the threshing floors. Kielah means fortress. I think it's a type of the church.
And what does Satan want to do? He wants to rob the church of
their food, feeding off Christ. Therefore, David inquired of
the Lord saying, shall I go and spite these Philistines? And
the Lord said unto David, go and smite the Philistines and
save Keilah. And David's men said unto him,
behold, we'd be afraid here in Judah. How much more then if
we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? We're
afraid here. We're afraid to do this. Then
David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and
said, arise, go down to Keilah for I will deliver the Philistines
into thine hand. So David and his men went to
Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their cattle
and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants
of Keilah. Pray together. Lord, we come into your presence
in Christ's name. That name that's above every
name. And we ask in his name that you would be pleased to
meet with us and to speak in power to our hearts from your
word for Christ's sake. Lord, we have no other plea. We have no other reason to ask
for your blessing other than that you would do it for Christ's
sake. Oh, may he, may he be magnified
in our midst and may we be enabled by your grace to look to him,
to glory in him, to hear his voice. And Lord, what we're asking
for ourselves, we ask for all your people wherever they meet
together. And Lord, we ask that you would forgive us of our sins
for his sake and cleanse us for his sake. In his name we pray,
amen. Verse one, then they told David
saying, behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah and they
rob the threshing floors. Saul should have been protecting
Keilah, but all Saul was concerned about was getting David. And so they tell David, the true
protector, behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah and they
robbed their threshing floors. Now here is what David does in
verse two. Therefore, David inquired of
the Lord saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And
the Lord said unto David, go and smite the Philistines and
save Gilead. Now, isn't that what we ought
to do in every situation? Go and inquire of the Lord. Lord, what would you have me
to do? I don't know. What would you
have me to do? He went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord answered David,
he said, go and smite the Philistines and save Keilah. He's given his
answer. Verse three, and David's men
said unto him, behold, we be afraid here in Judah. We're scared
to death here. How do you think that we would
have the strength and the courage to go and smite the Philistines
and Keilah? We're scared to death here. We
don't want to go anywhere. We're afraid. We don't know what
to do. Now, the Lord answered David and said,
you go and you smite. And David gives this message
to the men and they knew what they were supposed to do, but
they were still afraid. Now, what I was thinking about
when I thought about this is what good does it do me to know
what I'm supposed to do? I want to know what I'm supposed
to do, but I need more than that. I need grace to do what I'm supposed
to do. It's never enough for me to merely
know what I'm supposed to do. I need the Lord to do something
for me and cause me to do what I'm supposed to do. David's men said unto him, behold,
we be afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we come
to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? We're scared
to death. Then David, verse four, then
David inquired of the Lord yet again. He didn't reprimand these
people. He didn't ball them out for being
afraid. He goes and inquires of the Lord
again. Then David inquired of the Lord
yet again, and the Lord answered him and said, arise, go down
to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand. Now look at the difference. In
verse two, he says, you go and fight them. Well, that's good,
but they were afraid. And then the Lord tells them
what he will do. Now isn't that all the difference
in the world? He said, you go there and I will deliver the
Philistines into your hand. He talks about what he will do,
not about what they should do. And I'm not taking away from
the importance of what they should do. We ought to do what the Lord
tells us to do. But how do you, how do you fare
in that? How do you fare in that? Well,
they were afraid to death. They were paralyzed with fear.
They wouldn't go to Keilah. And then the Lord gives him this
assurance. This is what I will do. I will
deliver the Philistines into your hands. Verse five, so David
and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines,
assured of this victory, because the Lord said, I'm gonna do this.
And they brought away their cattle. much spoil, and smote them with
a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants
of Keilah. Now, the only way I have assurance is by what the Lord says he will
do. Not him telling me what I need
to do. Now I need to do whatever he tells me to do. I'm not taking
away from the importance of that. Please don't misunderstand me.
But the only thing that helps this sinner is for the Lord to
tell me what he will do. I think of Isaiah chapter 40,
verses one and two. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem. Comfort my people. Speak ye comfortably
to Jerusalem. Tell them that their warfare
is what? Accomplished. Her iniquity is
pardoned. For she shall receive of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. Now that's what comforts
me to find out what the Lord has already done in my behalf. Now turn back to 1 Samuel chapter
17. David understood this when he fought Goliath. Look in verse 42. And when the Philistine looked
about and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth,
and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto
David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And
the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine
said to David, Come to me, and I'll give thy flesh, and to the
fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field. Then said David
to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with
a spear, and with a shield, But I come to thee in the name of
the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou
hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver
thee into my hand. Notice he doesn't say I'll fight
you and whip you. He says, this day will the Lord
deliver thee into mine hand, and I will smite thee, and take
thy head from thee, and I will give the carcasses of the host
of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to
the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that
there is a God in Israel, and all this assembly shall know
that the Lord saveth, not with sword and spear, for the battle
is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. Now, in that passage of scripture
we just read where David said, arise, where the Lord said to
David, arise, go down to Kielah, this is in verse four, and I
will deliver the Philistines into thy hand. That's the word
that's generally translated give. give, I'll give them to thee. Now turn with me for a moment
to Romans chapter eight, put your finger there and first Samuel
23. And this is, oh my, you know, I could, uh, I could
preach from Romans chapter eight, every time I preach and enjoy
it and love it. But look what it says in Romans
chapter eight, verse 31. What shall we then say to these
things? What things? Look in verse 29. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, Whom
He did predestinate, them He also called. And whom He called,
them He also justified. And whom He justified, them He
also glorified. Now notice in every one of these
things, these are things that He did, aren't they? Those He
foreknew. He predestinated. He justified. He called. He glorified. These are all things that He
did. Now, what are we going to say
to these things that He did? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He goes on to say in verse 32,
he that spared not his own son but delivered Him up for us all.
How shall He not with Him freely give us all things?" What can
keep Him from freely giving us all things? He spared not His
Son. This is what He did. Verse 33, "...who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." This
is His work. This is something He did. He
justified me. He cleared me of all guilt. Verse 34, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died. This
is what he did. He died. He put away my sins. Yea, rather, that's risen again,
who's even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us? Who shall separate us from the
love of God? There's nothing that can separate
us. Now, these are all things that he has done. Now, look at
the difference. The Lord says to David, go and
fight. That's good. We ought to go and fight. We're
called upon to go and fight. David brings this message to
his men. They're scared to death. They said, we're so afraid. We're
so afraid here in Judah. You expect us to go fight these
people? And then he inquires of the Lord again. And the Lord
says, this is what I'll do. Now that's where our confidence
comes from, in what he does, not in what we do. but in what
He does. This is the victory that overcometh
the world. Even our faith, we believe in
what He has done. Not what we do, but what He has
done. Now the Lord said, I will deliver
them. And that word, like I said, is
the word give. I will give. The wages of sin,
that's the payment. The wages of sin is death, but
the gift. Oh, may the Lord give us grace
to lay hold upon this word, the gift of God, the gift of God. I love what the Lord said to
that woman at the well, if you knew the gift of God and who
it is that sayeth to thee, you'd ask and he would give unto thee
living water. Now this gift, Christ Jesus,
is the gift of God. I want this gift, don't you?
Whatever God has to give, to freely give, oh, how desperately
I want it. The wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Now, if God gives you a gift,
you know what you're going to do? you're going to receive it. And if you don't receive this
gift, it's because He never gave. You see, God never gives an unrequited
gift. He doesn't offer a gift and then
somebody rejects it. No. If God gives you a gift,
you will receive it. You'll receive Him. To as many
as received Him. to them gave you power to become
the sons of God, even to them which believe on His name. He's
called in the Scriptures the unspeakable gift. I love that
name for our Lord, don't you? He's so glorious and so great
that no one can even describe Him. We can't give proper definition
of Him. He's the unspeakable gift. He's
called the free gift. If you had to pay, Where would
that leave you? But His gift is the free gift. He's called the gift by grace.
He's called the gift of righteousness. You know, we read in the scriptures
of the gift of the Holy Spirit. We read of the gift of faith.
Faith is the gift of God. For you to or me to even believe
God, it's His gift given to you. Repentance is called The gift
of God. The remission of sins is called
the gift of God. Him hath God exalted with his
right hand to be a prince and a savior for to give repentance
to Israel. The remission of sins. Don't
you want these gifts? I mean, these are things that
God freely gives. There's nothing in you or me
that merits this gift. This is what God does. Now, I
repeat, They came in and ransacked the Philistines because they
knew it was a victory already given to them by God. And that's
what encourages us to fight this battle. It's already won. It's
already won. Now if all I hear is you need
to go fight, I'm scared because I'm afraid I'll lose. But if
I hear the victory's already been given to you, it's yours,
that's what encourages me to go out and fight this battle
just like David did. Now, what came to my mind when
I thought about this was Ezekiel chapter 36, would you turn with
me there? Ezekiel 36 beginning in verse 16, moreover. The word of the Lord
came unto me saying, son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt
in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their
doings. Their way was before me as the
uncleanness of a removed woman. And that's what we have done.
Wherefore, I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they
had shed upon the land and for their idols wherewith they had
polluted it. And I scattered them among the
heathen and they were dispersed through the countries according
to their way and according to their doings, I judged them. And when they entered under the
heathen, whether they went, they profaned my holy name. And when
they said to them, these are the people of the Lord and are
gone forth out of his land. Now look in verse 21, but this
is one of the best words in the Bible, but, but God, that's the only hope
you and I have, but God. who is rich in mercy, for his
great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. Now here's the only
hope a sinner has, but God, but. But I had pity for mine own holy
name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen,
whether they went. Therefore say unto the house
of Israel, Thus sayeth the Lord God, I do not this for your sakes. Oh, house of Israel. I'm not
giving you this grace in response to something good you have done,
or even because you've asked me to do this. I do not this
for your sake. So house of Israel, but for mine,
holy namesake, which you have profaned among the heathen, whether
you went. And I will sanctify my great
name, which was profaned among the heathen, which you have profaned
in the midst of them. And the heathen shall know that
I'm the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified
in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among
the heathen and gather you out of all countries and will bring
you into your own land." Now, notice the Lord is talking about
what He will do. Then will I sprinkle clean water
upon you, and you shall be clean. From all your filthiness and
from your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I
give you. Boy, I need that, don't you?
I need a new heart. Mine's no good. I need Him to
give me something that comes from Him that has nothing to
do with me. A new heart, a heart that was not there before. A
new heart also will I give you. And a new spirit will I put within
you. Notice that once again, these
are all things God does. And I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh. And I'll give you a heart of
flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk
in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments and do them."
Now, don't you love thinking of the Lord doing this for you?
Him saying, I'll cause you. I want that, don't you? I want
him to cause me to walk in his statutes, where he puts his spirit
within me. Verse 28, and you shall dwell
in the land that I give to your fathers, And you shall be my
people and I will be your God. Oh, I love the I wills and the
you shalls of the scripture. I will do this and you shall
do that. Oh, thank God for the I wills
of the scripture. Verse 29. I will also save you
from all your uncleannesses. And I will call for the corn
and will increase it, lay no famine upon you. I'll provide
your food. And I will multiply the fruit
of the tree and the increase of the field that you shall receive
no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then, now this is
part of this covenant. This is so important. Don't miss
this. Then shall you remember your
own evil ways and your doings. that were not good and shall
loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and
for your abominations. Now this is part of this new
covenant. You're gonna loathe yourselves. Verse 32, not for your sakes
do I this sayeth the Lord, be it known unto you, be ashamed
and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith
the Lord God, in the day that I shall have cleansed you from
all your iniquities, I will also cause you to dwell in the cities,
and the waste shall be builded, and the desolate shall be tilled,
whereas it lay desolate in the land of all that pass by. And
they shall say, this land that was desolate has become like
the garden of Eden. And the waste and desolate and
ruined cities have become fenced and are inhabited. Then the heathen
that are left round about you shall know that I, the Lord,
build the ruined places. This is something I do. And plant
that that was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it,
and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord God, I will
yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it
for them. Every one of these things that
I've said I will do, they're going to ask me to do them. He says, I'll give you a new
heart. And you say, Lord, give me a new heart. He said, I'll
cleanse you and you'll say, Lord, cleanse me. Do these things for
me and do these things in me for Christ's sake. And that is
the desire, the heart desire of every believer. Turn with
me for a moment to 2 Samuel. I think this will underline what
is being said. Now my hope, oh my soul, I wish
I could say this the way it ought to be said. My hope is what the
Lord does. Not what I do, not what he tells
me to do, but what he actually does. When he said it is finished,
something was done. And that's where all the hope
of the believer is. Now, 2 Samuel chapter 7. Beginning in verse 32, this is
David. I've got the wrong chapter. Verse
18, I'm sorry. Verse 18. 2 Samuel 7, verse 18. Then went King David in and sat
before the Lord." Wouldn't it be a blessing if
the Lord would enable me and you to do that this morning? To sit before the Lord. And he said, Who am I, O Lord
God? And what is my house that thou
hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing
in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also of thy
servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner
of men or man, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto
thee? For thou, Lord God, knowest thy
servant. I love that. You know, there's
no point in me trying to pretend before the Lord. He knows me.
He knows me inside out, through and through. And there's no point
in pretense before the Lord. No point in me trying to pretend
to be what I'm not. He knows me. And you know, there's
something comforting about that. He knows me. He knows me all
together. I don't really know myself, but He knows me. He knows
me all together, and He knows me in Christ. That's where my
comfort is. Let's go on reading. Verse 21, for thy word's sake,
and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great
things. Now there's, look what he's hoping
in. The great things the Lord did. to make thy servant know
them. Verse 22, wherefore thou art
great, O Lord God, for there's none like thee. Neither is there
any God beside thee, according to all that we've heard with
our ears. And what one nation in the earth
is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem
for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do
for you great things and terrible for thy land before thy people,
which thou redeemest to thee from Egypt, from the nations
and their gods? For thou has confirmed to thyself
thy people, Israel, to be a people unto thee forever. And thou,
Lord, art become their God. And now, O Lord God, the word
that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his
house, establish it forever and do as thou hast said. Now, do you want to understand
what the plea of faith is? Here's what we asked the Lord
to do. Do as thou hast said. You've made these great glorious
promises for Christ's sake. And here's what I'm asking you
to do. Do as thou hast said. Now what a plea. This is what
I'm asking the Lord to do. Lord, you said this. You said
I'll give him a new heart. You said I'll cleanse him. You
said I'll wash them. You said you'd do these things.
Now, do as thou hast said. That is the plea of faith. We're asking the Lord to do.
I want him to do for me. Somebody says, why can't you
do it yourself? Well, I don't know, I can't though. I'm asking
the Lord to do something for me. That's what my hope is, is
what the Lord does for me. And I'm asking him to do as he
said he would do in his word. Now, David inquires of the Lord. The Lord says, go smite, go smite
Keilah. Well, he comes back with this
information to the 600 men. And they said, we're scared to
death here in Judah. You think we can go and smite
the Philistines? We're just afraid. So David goes
and inquires of the Lord again. And the Lord says, I will deliver. And that's all our hope, isn't
it? In what he says, he will do. And may God give me and you
the grace to make this same prayer David did from the very heart
that he's given us. Lord, do as thou has said. Amen.