We'll go for this opportunity that we have praises unto you. I pray that's the remainder of this service at this time Lord to you
Lord the same I pray next time if you would turn to number three hymnals him number three Jesus paid it all him number three
We'll go ahead and start there right on the first
He did get those prices ordered a couple different options
We did get a anchor Baptist Church hat nice leather patch in the front if anyone likes that style
And we also as another option have a nice coffee mug there anchor Baptist Church as well
So we got the merch ordered and you know this chapter will be over after the transition
So it's it's fitting and if you don't like hats or mugs we do still have gift cards, too
So whatever you guys want for that prize you will have an option for sure
On the inside if you look at our left side
We do have our service times listed there and our soul winning times
Sounded like you got you'll have some fun this evening the soul winning time
So I'll be expecting some phone calls for that
We do have our nursing home ministry schedule listed there
If you take part of that, please make note of the times and preachers
We have our year-to-date salvations and baptisms listed there. We're almost at the point of breaking 500
So keep up the hard work at the end of this year
I think that we should be able to do that in December December on the upper right
We do have our expecting ladies. Please be in prayer for miss Whitney Reid
Also upcoming events on the 24th is going to be the transition day from steadfast Baptist Church to anchor Baptist Church
Really excited to have pastor Shelley and pastor Thompson preaching here
And we are going to be getting lunch catered in between services. We'll be getting some good Texas barbecue
I know it's Oklahoma, but we're bringing a taste of Texas up. So that's gonna be a lot of fun
I'm excited for that. I you know got all the chairs counted today. We got over a hundred
So we're gonna be ready to go for sure really excited for that. December 20th is the ladies Christmas party December 21st
We're gonna have a Christmas soul-winning push as many people are thinking about Christ that time of year
We're gonna have our regular Saturday soul-winning rally
We're just gonna cater some food and coffee and try to get people saved on that day. Also, I did add on December 31st
We are gonna have a New Year's Eve party and it's gonna be also a men's preaching night
So I'm gonna put a sign-up sheet back there, but man if you'd like to preach probably gonna be about 10 minutes
Depending on how many people sign up and the only rules are if you preach you got to have a shirt and tie
Got to preach out of the King James Bible unless you're using the other versions to make fun of them or preach against them
so that's the rules with that but I'll have a sign-up sheet where you can just write your name and the topic of your sermon and
Really looking forward to hearing you guys preach on that night
And then after the preaching we're gonna eat some food and put some tables out here play some games have some fellowships
So bring your board games from home. You're more than welcome to stay till midnight
Do you want to stay till midnight go for it?
Obviously those with kids may not want to do that
But you're more than welcome to if you want to be hardcore, you know, go for it
I've always had a really great time on these New Year's Eve parties
And it's a safe place to be on New Year's Eve rather than driving around with all the idiots drinking alcohol
You know being inside of church on New Year's Eve is definitely a safe place to be
So we do want to facilitate that for everyone
Online giving is that QR code there if you'd like to give online that is an option for you on the back
We do have our prayer list
You could please be in prayer for all of our church members there
And as always if you have any requests to add, please email the church and I'd be happy to add that for you
But before we go to our third song, let's go ahead and go to the Lord in prayer as a church dear Lord
Thank you for this day and thank you for the opportunity to be in your house during the midweek service
I just pray that you would refresh our spirits and our minds as we're out in this world all week
That we could just come to you sing praises to you be around God's people
Here the God of her the word of God be preached and just pray that you would be with us tonight as we do all that
And pray that you would please help those in this church looking for a new job or having interviews
We pray for also our brother James Perry who's having back issues just pray that you would heal him Lord
She would help him not to be so much pain and we just pray that he would get the care that he needs that he could
Be back on his feet Lord
and we also pray for Cameron's mother for her heart to be soft into the gospel and
also for healing for her cancer and we pray the same for
Miss Terry and this Remy as well that you just completely heal their bodies of their illnesses Lord
And just pray that you bless our church with good health and we pray for those also Lord
Desiring children that you please bless their womb Lord and help us to be a church that multiplies
Physically and spiritually and we pray also for Miss Whitney and brother Zach who have family members
Needing to be saved just pray that their hearts would be softened as well
And that they would get clear opportunity to hear the gospel and Lord, we love you very much in Jesus name
We pray. Amen. All right at this time
We'll go to our third song right for a third song if you would actually grab a white handout and turn to psalm number
150 psalm 150 psalm 150 we'll go ahead and start there right on the first
crazy the Lord
Praise God in his sanctuary
praise him and
Affirmament of his power praise him for his mighty acts
praise him according to his
excellent greatness
praise him with the
Sam
the stringed instruments evening first Samuel chapter number 14 first Samuel 14 the Bible reads
Now it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul
Said unto the young man that bare his armor come and let us go over to the Philistines
garrison that is on the other side, but he told not his father and Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree
Which is in Megeron and the people that were with him were about 600 men
Haya the son of a high tube it kebabs brother the son of Phinehas the son of Eli the Lord's priests in Shiloh
wearing an ephod and the people knew not that Jonathan was gone and between the passages by which
Jonathan sought to go over unto the phil scenes
garrison there was a sharp rock on this on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side and the name of
The one was Bozes and the name of the other
Sina the forefront of the one was situate northward over against mcmash and the other southward
over against gibia and
Jonathan said to the young man that bear his armor come and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised
It may be that the Lord will work for us
For there is no restraint to the Lord to say by many or by few in his armor bearer sent unto him
Do all that is in nine heart turn thee behold I am with thee according to thy heart
Then said Jonathan behold we will pass over unto these men and we will discover ourselves unto them if they say thus unto us
Terry until we come to you
Then we will stand still in our place and will not go up unto them
but if they say thus come up unto us then we will go up for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand and
this shall be a sign unto us and both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines and the Philistines said behold the
Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves and the men of the garrison
Answered Jonathan and his armor bear and said come up to us and we will show you a thing and Jonathan said unto his armor
bearer come up after me for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel and
Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet and his armor bearer after him and they fell before Jonathan and his armor
Bearer slew after him and that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about 20 men
Within as it were an half acre of land which a yoke of oxen might plow and there was trembling in the host in the field
And among all the people the garrison and the spoilers they also trembled and the earth quaked
So it was a very great trembling and the watchmen of Saul and gibbia of Benjamin looked and behold the multitude
Melted away and they went on beating down one another then said Saul unto the people that were with him
Number now and see who is gone from us and when they had numbered behold
Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there and Saul said unto
Ahiah bring hither the ark of God for the ark of God
Was at that time with the children of Israel and it came to pass
while Saul talked unto the priest that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased and Saul said unto
The priests withdraw thine hand and Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves and they came to the battle and
Behold every man's sword was against his fellow and there was a very great
Discomfiture moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time which went up with them
Into the camp from the country roundabout even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan
Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim when they heard the Philistines fled
Even they also followed hard after them in the battle
So the Lord saved Israel that day and the battle passed unto Bethhavn and the men of Israel were distressed that day
For Saul had adjured the people saying cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening that I may be avenged on mine
Enemies, so none of the people tasted any food and all they of the land came to a wood and there was honey upon the ground
And when the people were coming to the wood behold the honey dropped
But no man put his hand to his mouth for the people feared the oath
But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath there
Wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth
and his eyes were enlightened and they answered one of the people and said that father straightly charged the people with an oath saying
Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day and the people were faint
Then said Jonathan my father hath troubled the land see I pray you how mine eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little
Of this honey how much more if happily the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies
Which they found for they had not been now and much great greater slaughter among the Philistines
And they smote the Philistines that day from Micmash to Aijalaam and the people were very faint and the people
Flew upon the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slew them on the ground and the people did eat them with the blood
then they told Saul saying behold the people sinned against the Lord and that they eat with the blood and
He said you have transgressed roll a great stone unto me this day and Saul said disperse you
Disperse yourselves among the people and saying to them bring me hither every man his ox and every man his sheep and slay them
Here and eat and sin not against the Lord and eating with the blood and all the people brought every man
His his ox with him that night and slew them there and saw built and built an altar into the Lord
The same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord and Saul said let us go down after the Philistines
By night and spoil them there until the morning light and let us not leave a man of them
And they said do whatsoever seem it's good unto thee then said the priest let us draw near
Hither unto God and Saul asked the counsel of God shall I go down after the Philistines
Wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel but he answered him not that day and Saul said draw you near hither all the chief
Of the people and know and see wherein the sin hath been this day
For as the Lord liveth which saveth Israel though it be in Jonathan my son he shall surely die
But there was not a man among all the people that answered him then said he unto all Israel
Be you on one side and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side and the people said unto Saul
Do what seemeth good unto thee therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel
Give a perfect lot and Saul and Jonathan were taken
But the people escaped and Saul said cast lots between me and Jonathan my son and Jonathan was taken
Then Saul said to Jonathan tell me what that has done and Jonathan told him and said I did but taste a little honey with
The end of the rod that was in my hand and lo I must die and Saul answered God do so and more also
For thou shalt surely die Jonathan and the people said unto Saul
Shall Jonathan die who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel God forbid as the Lord liveth
There shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground for he hath wrought with God this day
So the people person so the people rescued Jonathan that he died not and Saul went up from following the Phil scenes and the Phil scenes went
To their own place so Saul took the kingdom over Israel and fought against all the enemies on every side
Against Moab and against the children of Ammon and against Edom and against the kings of Zoha and
Against the Phil scenes and whithersoever he turned himself
He vexed them and he gathered and host and smoked the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them
now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishulai and
Mikaila Shua and the names of his two daughters were these the name of the firstborn
Merab and the name of the younger Micol and the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of
Ahimeaz and the name of the captain of his host was Abner the son of Nare Saul's uncle and Kish was the father of
Saul and Nare the father of Abner and the son of Abel and there was sore war against the Phil scenes all the days of
Saul and when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man he took him unto him. That's power heads for word of
prayer. Father in heaven we thank you for this day and we thank you for all the souls that are saved across the
world every day. And we just ask that you fill it all with the word of prayer for the sake of your lives. And I promise you that you will come up with the word of prayer tonight. Peace and your prayer. Amen.
Amen. All right well we're in 1st Samuel chapter 14 which as you can see is a much longer chapter than what we've been
going through. So we're only going to get through the first 23 verses this evening and Lord willing we'll finish it next
week. But if you remember where we picked up last week basically Saul he had sinned presumptuously by doing the sacrifice
without Samuel. And as a result God basically told Saul that his name his days being king were numbered. And he's in a
very bad situation. Things are looking really bleak for the children of Israel. And go to 1st Samuel 13 real quick just flip
back to verse number 15 and let me remind you of the military situation that they're in here. Verse 15 it says in
Samuel rose and got him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin and Saul numbered the people that were present with him
about 600 men. So if you remember at the beginning of that chapter he started with 3000 and it was whittled down to 600
guys against what the Bible described as basically an innumerable multitude you know people as the sand of the seashore
We were talking last week about how from a carnal perspective they seemed like they were in a really impossible situation
But go to 1st Samuel 14 and let's actually skip ahead to verse 23
I want you to notice how it went from this seemingly impossible situation to the end of the battle
This is what it looked like in 1st Samuel 14 23 the Bible says so the Lord saved
Israel that day and the battle passed over unto Beth Avon
So where they started in a terrible situation at a major disadvantage in just 23 verses
They somehow went from having just a few hundred men to winning this battle and the question is how did this happen?
That's what we're gonna look at this evening how God ended up saving
Israel look at verse number one of first Samuel 14 the Bible says now it came to pass
Upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bear his armor
Come and let us go over to the Philistines garrison that is on the other side
But he told not his father and Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree
Which is in migraine and the people that were with him were about 600 men
So notice the Bible contrasts Jonathan and Saul which last chapter the Bible kind of did the same thing explaining how Jonathan won the battle
But Saul tried to take the glory now we have here in a very negative situation
Jonathan says to his armor-bearer. Hey, let's go over against the Philistines garrison
Let's go over to the Philistines garrison. He's saying hey, let's go check out the situation
Let's go do some reconnaissance on the enemy. Meanwhile, what is Saul doing?
Tarrying which is funny because his whole excuse for why he had to do the sacrifice
Was that he didn't want to go out to war. He didn't want to go out to battle before inquiring of the Lord
Well now that's already been done. The sacrifice is already done. It's already over with yet. He's still tearing
He's still just sitting around number one this evening. God wants to use the proactive
God wants to use the proactive see while Saul was just sitting around doing nothing, you know spinning his thumbs around
Jonathan was actually moving Jonathan was actually doing something and you know, while we don't want to be
Presumptuous we do want to be proactive there is a difference between those two things because someone that's
Presumptuous is taking something that's not rightfully theirs not their authority but being proactive is hey
There's an opportunity from God here. I'm not forbidden from doing this thing
So I'm gonna take action and you know God wants us as his people to be people that are
Active people that do not just sit around and think about it. Jonathan. He's not forbidden by Saul to do this
He's one of the leaders of the army and if Saul's not getting the job done if Saul's just sitting underneath the pomegranate tree
You know at the very least we could do is go get some intelligence on the enemy, right?
Get some reconnaissance going go to Genesis chapter 14
I want to show you a few verses about how God likes people and God uses people that are proactive
And they don't necessarily have to sit around and wait to be told to do something. It's just hey, it's in their power
It's not forbidden to them. There's an opportunity there and they just move they just do things
Genesis 14 14 it says and when Abram had heard that his brother was taken captive
He armed his train servants born in his own house
318 and pursued them unto Dan see no one told Abram
Hey, go get your army and go to war and save lot, right? He just there's a problem
There's an issue and so him as a proactive person as a good leader. He just says hey, let's go fight these guys
Let's go rescue lot verse 15 and he divided himself against them
he and his servants by night and smote them and pursued them unto hobo, which is on the left hand of
Damascus and he brought back all the goods and also brought again his brother lot and his goods and the women also and the people
So God blessed Abrams initiative that he took God blessed the fact that he was being proactive
By allowing Abram to prosper in this battle and to get a lot back to get all the goods back
Why because God likes someone that's proactive God likes someone that takes
Initiative go to mark chapter number five mark chapter number five. It's not even just men
The Bible talks about women that are proactive
Women that take initiative and this is something that God likes as an attribute of ladies as well
Mark 525 it says and a certain woman which had an issue of blood 12 years and had suffered many things of
Many physicians and had spent all that she had and was nothing bettered
But rather grew worse when she had heard of Jesus came in the press behind and touched his garment
For she said if I may touch but his clothes
I shall be whole and straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of
That plague, you know, I find this story to kind of match what we're talking about, you know, no one told this woman
Hey go touch Jesus's garment. She just thought like hey, Jesus is standing here. Here's an opportunity that's been presented to me
No one told me I can't touch his garment
You know, I've been dealing with all these physicians and I haven't gotten better. In fact, I've gotten worse
Maybe I should just go touch Jesus's garment real quick and he'll heal me and that's exactly what happened
Why because God consistently in the Bible blesses people that are pro
Active that take initiative, you know, it's like this financially God promises to provide all of our needs
The Bible talks about how we you know, we've never seen the righteous
Forsaken or his seed begging bread, but it's not like you just sit down and just pray God, please give me money
You know who God's gonna bless financially is the person that is just proactive and just goes and takes initiative
To work hard on their own someone that doesn't have to have a taskmaster over them
Telling them do this do that but they just go out they work hard
That's gonna be the type of person that God blesses in battle in business in ministry in family in anything
Go back to 1st, Amy 14 while you're turning there
I'll read for you 1st Corinthians 16 9 the Bible says for a great door an effectual is opened unto me
And there are many adversaries when I think about being proactive taking initiative
I think about the opportunities that we have to go soul winning to preach the gospel, right?
You know, of course Jesus did tell us to do this in the Great Commission
but you know Jesus isn't here on this earth just constantly telling you all the time to go out soul winning and
Jesus isn't here to direct us and tell us exactly what part of the city to go to
Jesus isn't isn't here to tell us what parts of the world to go to to do mission strips
But you know what Jesus likes he likes it when people are just proactive
He likes it when people just go out and just sow the seed the Word of God. That's what God blesses
I think about Faithful Word Baptist Church
I just got back from their missions conference and while we were focusing a lot on the missions work that has been done
By that church and other churches
I also just think about the work that they've done in their community the fact that they live in an area with
Millions and millions of people and you look at the map at their church and they've just about knocked every door in Phoenix, Arizona
That's that's amazing. And you know what many of those places they've knocked a dozen times close to the church
But you know, no one ever told pastor Anderson to do that. No one's ever breathing down his neck
There was no so no denomination leader saying hey pastor Anderson cast this vision for your church
There was just a man that was just proactive that just took initiative that God used greatly
You know pastor Shelley recently last year we went to the Bahamas and we almost got a thousand people saved in less than a week
You know what? No one ever told pastor Shelley to go to the Bahamas pastor Shelley was just proactive. He was just taking initiative
He's like, hey, why don't we just go over unto the Bahamians?
However, you call it and let's just preach them the gospel and God prospered that work
You know we need to have the same attitude where we don't necessarily need to wait around being told what to do
We just need to do stuff. We just need to try stuff
We just need to sow the Word of God promote the Bible and let God prosper it
Let God be in charge of the results, you know opportunities are limitless for us today in
2024 but people are often limited by their own vision or lack thereof, you know, I think about all the thousands
thousands upon thousands of Baptist churches in Oklahoma and in the state of Texas and how many of them are out preaching the gospel?
I mean in this town, it seems like there's a Baptist Church every other street corner. There's so many Baptist churches
Why isn't Oklahoma City being reached with the gospel ten times a year?
I mean, there's enough saved people that if they actually had a vision if they actually were proactive that could be done literally
Easily, but yet there's only you know a handful of churches in this area that are soul-winning and praise God for those churches
That's more than a lot of other areas
I know of many great churches in this area that are doing that but you know what?
God's people today need to be waking up and be like hey, you need a vision. You need to be proactive
Don't wait around for people telling you what to do. Just do something for God go to first Samuel 14 verse 3
The Bible says in a higher the son of a hit tub a kabod's brother
You know
I think the Bible mentions that because of course a kabod is relating to the glory departing from Israel
Saul sitting around doing nothing and he's accompanied by people that basically represent a bunch of do nothings
The son of Phinehas the son of Eli the Lord's priest and Shiloh
Wearing an ephod and the people knew not that Jonathan was gone
so this was something that he just did of his own volition verse 4 and
Between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines garrison
There was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side and the name of the one was
Moses and the name of the other Sina the forefront was the one situate northward over against
McMash which that's where the Philistines are and the other southward over against
Gibeah and Jonathan said to the young man that bear his armor come and let us go over onto the garrison of these
Uncircumcised it may be that the Lord will work for us for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or
By few now for me at least it kind of takes me a while to visualize this story
You know, maybe I've just been living in the flatlands for too long
It's just hard to picture this but basically there's this mountain geography where there's two sharp rocks
So it's very treacherous terrain
It's not something that's just easy to pass over and the Bible describes how there's basically like a passage between
These two sharp rocks so it's not like the entire army of the Philistines can just rush through that thing at once
It's so narrow that I would imagine
One to just very few people would be able to go through it and that's kind of why Jonathan is even going up
Just him and another person because the way that the terrain is set up. It's not really
Feasible to have a lot of people there and you know
I was just in Arizona this week and we climbed this little mountain and even just this mountain the middle of Phoenix
There was parts where you could definitely only have one person going at a time right with that type of terrain
So kind of just picture that in your mind because think about it, you know, they are super outnumbered
So if the children of Israel are going to fight against this large army, you know
This terrain actually works to their advantage
Because Saul and his armor bearer are able to fight a huge army with a small number of people
Do you understand I'm saying because only a certain number of people can get through that passageway. So it's not like you could even have big
Armies facing off with each other. This is kind of perfect for exactly what the children of Israel needed
But of course when Saul's just sitting underneath the pomegranate tree when they're doing nothing
They can't necessarily see that opportunity, right now number two
I want to say this God wants to use people who believe that God can look again at verse 6
It says and Jonathan said to the young man that bears armor come and let us go over
Unto the garrison of these uncircumcised notice what it says
It may be that the Lord will work for us for there's no
Restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few notice Jonathan didn't say hey
We're gonna go up to these guys and we're for sure just gonna destroy them
You know God is for sure gonna spare us and we're for sure gonna win this victory
you know what he just said, he says it may be that the Lord will do this and throughout the Bible you see God using people that
They're not presumptuous and thinking God is for sure gonna only give them prosperity and wealth and health and deliver them from every situation
But the truth is God can deliver from every situation
God can bless us in even the most extreme odds when you think it's impossible to win
God absolutely can still come through go to Daniel chapter number 3 Daniel chapter number 3 Daniel chapter number 3
You know people that only focus on the potential negative consequences, and they're just too afraid of facing those consequences
Usually don't end up doing anything great in their life because they're just too focused on the negative
They're too scared to do something but Jonathan was a man that said hey
I don't know for sure if this is gonna pan out, but I know that God can make it pan out. God can save us
Daniel 314 we have the story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego a very famous story verse 14
The Bible says Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them. Is it true?
Oh Shadrach Meshach and Abednego do not ye serve my gods nor worship the golden image
Which I have set up now if you be ready that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet flute harp
Sackbut, psaltery and dulcimer and all kinds of music he fall down and worship the image which I have made well
But if you worship not you shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace
And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands remember Nebuchadnezzar?
He made a law that when he had this golden image set up and they started to play the music
Everyone had to bow down it came to his attention that Shadrach Meshach and Abednego weren't doing this
So basically Nebuchadnezzar calls him out says hey, I'm gonna give you another chance. Just go ahead and do this
But if you don't I'm gonna kill you. That's what he's saying to them
I'm gonna burn you alive in a burning fiery furnace verse 16 Shadrach Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king
Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. He's saying we're not having any deliberations in our mind
We're not going back and forth on this. We're standing firm on this
It says if it be so our God whom we serve is
Able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand
Oh King, but if not be it known unto thee Oh King that we will not serve thy gods
Nor worship the golden image which thou has set up to notice here these godly men said hey
I don't care what the result of this is going to be. We know what's right. We know what's wrong
We know what God has commanded us to do and hey God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace
But hey, even if he doesn't we're still going to serve you
You know
I think some people because of false prophets like Joel Osteen and false prophets like Andy Stanley
They've corrupted a lot of people's minds into thinking
serving God
Christianity equals everything going good for you your life being easy your life being pleasant
Being healthy until the day you die being rich, right living in a nice house in a nice neighborhood having a nice car
This is what a lot of people think. Hey, if I serve God God will reward me by all these great things in our lives
But you know what the right attitude is the right attitude is I will serve God whether I'm rich or whether I'm poor
I will serve God whether I'm healthy or whether I'm sick
I will serve God whether I live in freedom in the United States of America
Or if I live in some sort of hellhole third world country where it's illegal to be a Christian
I'll still pray to the Lord
I'll still worship the Lord and hey, you could throw me in a fiery furnace and we're still not gonna turn away from God
We're still gonna obey the voice of the Lord
You know, I think about how God just loves people like this that just believe that God can they're not expecting something from him
They're not demanding something from him. They don't expect all God owes me God doesn't owe us anything
You know what? We deserve eternal. Hell every single person in this room. God doesn't owe us
Happiness and joy and all the blessings that we do receive from him
You know, he owes us nothing and our attitude should be like hey God can prosper us
God can give us health God can give us wealth God can do all these things
But even if he doesn't I still love him anyways, though
He slay me yet will I trust him job said and you know what?
I think about is I think about all the soul winners in Germany where they are have been severely persecuted
They've gone through persecution that I don't know anyone in the United States having gone through in this lifetime at least and these
Germans, you know, they just had an attitude where they're like, hey, let's just try something right? Yeah, it's a hard country
But you know what? Let's be proactive. Let's take initiative and they said let's just try to have an independent fundamental Baptist Church in
Germany that preaches the whole counsel of God that goes soul-winning. Let's just try
Let's be proactive and you know what in the last three or four years
They've almost gotten a thousand people saved almost a thousand people saved in Germany a very unreceptive country
And you know what these people understand that God can allow them to prosper
God can allow them to go on but you know what God doesn't owe any of us that God doesn't owe anyone that and recently
The Germans have had to kind of downgrade their church from being a church where they're meeting and preaching, you know
Unfortunately, they're not able to do that right now. And so now they're just a soul winning club
But you know what? I still think God is pleased with those people
I think that God is more pleased with a small group of people who try to start a church and you know
What it's not a church anymore
Now they're just a soul winning club then all the do nothings in the big buildings
With the riches of this world in the freedom of the United States of America that don't do anything for God that don't preach
Any fiery sermons that don't ever get in the news that don't ever preach the gospel
you know what God's more pleased with a little group of
Germans that are actually trying something and that actually believe that God can and you know what God doesn't owe them anything
But they at least believe that God can and when God decides hey now is not the time to have a church
You're not gonna prosper. You're not gonna have freedom in Germany. You know what? They still blessed the Lord. They still loved God
They're not just blaming God and giving up on him
Why because they never expected anything from God anyways, they just believed that he could and you know that church has been through serious persecution
Multiple people being having criminal charges against them to where they've had to flee the country
Multiple people in that church having police raid their home steal all their electronics
You know first time visitors coming to their church and then being followed home by the police with a knock on the door
Hey, why did you just go to this church and start interrogating them?
And then they still came back to church after that. How many Americans would do that? Good luck
It's hard to get people to show up to church when we have freedom
When we have everything handed to us on a silver platter here in America and those people are over there working hard
Why because they're proactive and they believe that God can do something. You know, I don't think that their story is over
I don't think that the story of that church in Germany is over, you know
Resist the devil and he will flee from you Jonah chapter number three go to Jonah
Jonah chapter three, you know
God is just pleased with people that just believes that he can not that they expect it from him
But people just believe that God can do something Jonah 3 verse 4 and Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey
And he cried and said yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. What does Jonah do?
Jonah brings a message of certain destruction
He didn't say like hey, you might be destroyed if you don't get right with God
You know God's not a hundred percent sure what he's gonna do here
He just said you got 40 days and God is torturing this place sounds like kind of a black-pilled message, right?
Sounds like it's a hopeless situation look at verse 5 so the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on
sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them for the work for word came unto the king of Nineveh and
He arose from his throne and he laid his robe from him and covered him with sackcloth and sat in
Ashes and he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his noble saying
Let neither man nor beast herd nor flock taste anything
Let them not feed nor drink water
But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God
Yay, let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands
You know get the picture there here this whole country's had certain doom prescribed against them and the highest authority in the land the king
Himself believes God he doesn't mock at Jonah or scoff at the message of the Bible. He believes it
He takes it to heart, you know, he takes off his clean kingly robes. He humbles himself
He puts on sackcloth and then he tells the whole nation. Hey, you need a fast
You need to be weeping you need to be proclaiming a fast from the greatest to you to least even the animals
You know, they're going all in they're going to the backyard
They're sprinkling, you know their chickens with ash and sackcloth and their goats and their cows and their dogs everything
I mean, he's getting into it. He's really believing the Bible here. He's like we need to change
We need to do right why verse 9 who can tell if God will turn and repent and
Turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not. Hey, I know Jonah gave us this message and I believe him
They believe God the Bible says they believe God. I know Jonah said this
I know Jonah said it's hopeless, but you know, I also know that God is merciful that God is loving that God can do anything
And so they repent they put on the sack off the ashes they get right with God
He says hey who can tell if God will turn and repent, you know what that person's saying that he believes God can he's not saying
God I demand God does this we're owed this but you know what he's saying
I believe God can verse 10 and God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and God
Repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not you have a story
certain destruction black-pilled no hope
destroyed terrible situation and at the end of it God turning changing his mind and
Sparing them why because a whole nation of people believed that God could and they repented and they changed
You know, sometimes we want to get black-pilled on this world, right where we're just saying, you know
What Oklahoma City's too sinful Oklahoma's too sinful, you know, the United States is too sinful
It's done nuke us now Putin, you know from time to time
We feel that way when we see drag queens walking around, right?
But you know what who can tell what God's gonna do and you know
We shouldn't just give up on our mission give up on the ministry give up on preaching the Word of God
Just cuz we think oh, it's done. It's it's ready to be nuked. There's no hope here
You know what who can tell and you know who God likes the person that says hey
I don't know if things are gonna change. I don't know if things are gonna turn around but you know what?
I believe that God can and because God can I'm gonna be proactive and I'm gonna work. I'm gonna get to work
I'm gonna take initiative and you know what there's been things that have happened in the last couple of years
That I honestly did not think we're gonna happen right Roe v. Wade being overturned never thought that would happen in my lifetime, right?
That's crazy. Okay, how about the director of education in the state of Oklahoma?
Mandating that schools teach the King James Bible. I mean if we would have heard that five years ago
We would have been laughing right that we never would have thought something like that be happening in the United States and recently this guy
He literally made a state order directive where he opens up the bidding for contractors to supply the state of Oklahoma
With fifty five thousand King James Bibles for public schools and look I'm still against public school
But you know what that's not something that I thought would have happened
But hey who could tell what God's gonna do tomorrow
You know what we should just do is we should just keep preaching keep getting the word of God out there
Keep living our lives as if what we do can make a difference because it can
We could actually change this city
We could actually change the eternal destiny of human souls by going and preaching them the gospel
You know what you might think. Oh, I've got a family member who's a lost cause this person will never get saved
You know how many times I've heard that from someone and then five years down the road that person gets saved
Hey, don't give up because guess what God can God can soften someone's heart
God can win them over go back to first Samuel 14 on a read second Samuel 12 22 remember when King David
sinned his child was very sick unto death and his child ended up dying and
David said this and he said while the child was yet alive
I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether God will be gracious to me that the child may live
And you know, unfortunately for him that child did not live but God still used David. God still loved David
God or David is a man after God's own heart and one of the reasons why is because he was just one of these guys
Like Jonathan, it makes me wonder why Jonathan and David were such good friends because they were both guys that just believed God can
They weren't expecting anything from him, but they believed that he could first Samuel 14 number 3
God wants to use people who are willing to be outnumbered
verse number 6 the Bible says and Jonathan said to the young man that bears armor come and let us go over unto the garrison of
These uncircumcised it may be that the Lord will work for us for there is no restraint to the Lord
To save by many or by few you know if you remember in the last chapter
I was talking about how yes the children of Israel are outnumbered, but they had the wrong attitude by being scared
They had the wrong attitude by being pessimistic because the truth is if God is on your side
You're in the majority if God is for you who can be against you
You know Jonathan was one of these guys that just recognized. Hey, there's no restraint
You know God is not lacking power or ability to save by many or by few and oftentimes
God actually gets more glory and
Desires to win victories to go through battles with few rather than the many
Go to Matthew chapter number 7 Matthew 7 and you know
The lesson for us is that we just need to get used to being in the minority, you know people talk about all
You know white privilege you guys are in the majority. We're the biggest minority you could possibly find
Saved Christians that believe and preach and teach every word of God. There's not a lot of churches in this world doing that
Let me just wake you up to something not every single Baptist Church in this city in this country is gonna Thunder forth all the laws
Of God every verse in the Bible not every church in this city is gonna stand up and you know
Make a movie the sodomite deception, right? There's a minority that are like that and
Just in general. There's just a minority of people that are even saved
Matthew 713 says enter ye at the straight gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and
Many there be which go in there at because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which lead it unto life and few
There be that find it. I think it's kind of funny how in this story Jonathan is armor-bearer
they're in a narrow straight between two rocks, right and
Jesus is talking about how that's kind of like the way to heaven the way to heaven is a narrow straight and
Many people are seeking to go in there at but not very many people actually go in and when you just look at this world
Reality matches what Jesus said because you go to the Methodist Church
Wrong on salvation you go to many Anglican churches wrong on salvation Presbyterians wrong on salvation
What do we got Catholics wrong on salvation?
Pentecostals very very often wrong on salvation Church of Christ very often wrong on salvation
Mormons wrong on salvation Muslims Hindus
I mean we just go on and on and on and on all these people that are going to hell that are unsaved
It's the few that are saved. It's the few that actually believe faith alone in Jesus Christ
It's the few that actually believe that you can't lose your salvation that salvation is not by your own merits or works
But that it's by the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross go to Luke 14 Luke chapter number 14
Jonathan and his armor-bearer are in the minority here
But guess what?
God's not restrained to save them by many or by few few people are saved Luke 14 26 few people are
disciples Jesus said if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and
Children and brethren and sisters yay in his own life. Also, he cannot be my disciple
You know many people today don't serve God because of their family
You know many people today don't go to a good church because their mom's a Catholic because their dad's a Presbyterian or whatever
Or they're they don't they don't become a soul winner because they're worried about what their family will think or they're not three to
Thrive because they don't want to let their family down because they have a Sunday get-together or whatever
There's all these different situations many people today will not serve God if it's gonna cost them any strain on their family
And you know
There's many people where if you get saved and you decide to start living for God and go to an independent fundamental Baptist Church
Not only will you just have strain with your family?
There's many situations like this where your family will just completely cut you off
You know if you grew up in a Mormon household and you get saved your family's not gonna have any fellowship with you many
Catholics you grow up and you get saved and you break from the Catholic Church, you know to them
It's just unforgivable and they will have nothing to do with you and this applies to many different denominations
But Jesus said if any man come to me and hate not all these people he cannot be my disciple
you know you think about the story of
Sacrificing Isaac and the fact that that is a huge thing to imagine and it's something that probably
Many people would not be willing to do but it's literally a story in the Bible for a reason picturing that you should put God
Above all family all family go if you would to first Corinthians chapter number one
You know few people will read their Bible cover to cover in their entire life
One time one time few churches will preach the whole counsel of God few people be soul winners think about this few people would actually be
Faithful unto death, you know, we're not in a situation like that in the United States of America
Where we're facing death as an option really being on the table for preaching the gospel
But that has happened many times in history in many places in this world
And you know what it's few that would be willing to be faithful unto death first Corinthians 126
The Bible says for ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty
Not many noble are called
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world
To confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised
Have God chosen yay and things which are not to bring to not things that are that no
Flesh should glory in his presence, you know today many people would look at a church like ours and make fun of us
Oh you guys meet in a strip mall you guys rant or whatever
but you know what God often uses the things that are despised and weak and
Base to confound the mighty in this world and God often uses just two people
Jonathan and his armor-bearer to fight what's described as a people like the sand on the seashore
To get the victory God oftentimes does these things why verse 29 that no flesh should glory in his presence
see if the children of Israel had an army of five million people and they just blew up that mountain with
Dynamite and just marched over there just killed everyone that wouldn't be that impressive. You know what those people would do
They think we're awesome. We're mighty we're strong and this is unfortunately an attitude that even creeps into churches where they get big
They get successful. Maybe they started humble. Maybe they you know, we're on fire for God and had zeal
But oftentimes as a church gets bigger and bigger and bigger
There's more of a temptation to start to take the credit for yourself to think man
This church is awesome because I've grown it because I'm a great preacher
Because I'm a great leader because we're so special because we live in a certain part of town or something like that
But you know what?
God's not impressed by any of those things and quite honestly
God would rather use a smaller group of people or any group of people that's at least going to give God the glory
There's nothing wrong with being big right because Jonathan said hey God's not restrained to save by many or by few
It's not like there's anything wrong with being big but you know what there's something wrong with is taking the glory for yourself
Hey
If you could be big and realize that everything you have is given to you from God and that he's prospering you not yourself
Then hey, you could be big but oftentimes people can't handle that go to first Samuel 14 first Samuel chapter 14
Number four God wants to use the loyal God wants to use the loyal verse 7 says this and his armor bearers said unto him
Do all that is in thine heart turn thee behold. I am with thee according to thy heart
I mean think about the loyalty of this guy the dedication that he has to Jonathan where literally
They're completely outnumbered. They're humanly speaking. This is an impossible situation and Jonathan's like hey you and me
Let's go fight an innumerable multitude and he's like I'm down. Let's go chief. Whatever you want to do. I'm with you
I mean that had to have been really encouraging. Hey girls, be quiet and sit down stop that had to have been really encouraging to Jonathan
Where he's gonna be going in a serious battle a something that's he's way outnumbered
But you know what at least he has someone with him and you know, oftentimes, let's be honest life as a Christian
especially life as a disciple can be lonely sometimes and
Sometimes you could be having a heavy burden on you for the work that you're doing and you know
It's just nice to know that there's one person with you God willing more people with you. But you know what we need
Fellowship in the Christian life we need to lean on each other
Christianity is not a one-man show. It's not something you do on your own by the way
That's why God created church because God wants us to have people that are saying hey, I'm with you. I'm with you
We're not alone because here's the thing many of us are families. We don't have great relationships with them
Thank God I do but many people in this room probably don't but you know what you got people in here that love you
You got people in here that are loyal to you that are willing to fight
Battles with you that are willing to teach you how to go soul-winning that are willing to you know in part wisdom unto you be
A blessing to you help you financially even at times
You know it is a great thing to have a local New Testament Church many people take it for granted
You know we need friends today that are gonna be loyal to friends. You know it's like yeah
You know you got kind of a crazy idea here, but hey, let's just try it. I'm with you, right
You know I think about at the missions conference. They were talking about doing this cruise missions trip
did anyone hear about that where people were just they were buying cruise tickets and
Basically, as soon as they went to port they just went soul-winning in that town
They got back on the boat went to the next town
They went soul-winning in that town got back on the boat and it's just like that's kind of a cool idea that I've never thought
Of but you know what it just had some someone just needed to try someone just need to be proactive
Someone just needed to believe that God can and there's need to be a group of people that said hey, I'm with you
I'll go with you. I'll support you
You know one thing another way to apply this is that you know wives should be very loyal to their husbands
You know sometimes being a man and carrying the weight of the family on your shoulders
Providing being the leader that could be a heavy burden at times and sometimes
You know what your husband needs is for you. Just tell him. Hey, honey. I'm with you. I support you
I've got your back right because you know the workplace oftentimes he's fighting battles
He's dealing with a bunch of jerks all day. You know he's out there fighting
He just needs his wife to say I'm with you
I'm your biggest cheerleader not you know the wife spends her whole life just tearing her husband down
You don't do enough. You don't make enough. Why aren't you like so-and-so you know that's the worst thing you could do as a wife
You know what you need to be is you need to be your husband's armor-bearer at least metaphorically, okay husbands
You carry the heavy stuff all right, but you know what wives to just say I'm with you. I support you
Hey church members should be loyal to their pastor
And you know pastor Shelley has been through some serious battles pastor Shelley's been through some situations
We're on the surface. You thought there's no victory to be had here. We're outnumbered. We're outgunned
You know they've got the financial advantage or whatever
But I've seen God give us the victory and you want to know why because there was a church full of people said
Pastor Shelley, I'm with you
And you know what that encouraged him and gave him the strength to go through that battle number five
God wants to use the bold look at verse number eight of first Samuel chapter 14 verse 8 then said Jonathan behold
We will pass over unto these men and we will discover ourselves unto them
He's just saying we're gonna just go to the enemy and we're just gonna like give ourselves up
We're just gonna like discover ourselves to them
You know, that's a bold move right there and we're gonna see that God uses bold people verse 9
They come up with a plan that says if they say thus unto us
Terry until we come to you then we will stand still in our place and will not go up unto them
But if they say thus come up unto us then we will go for the Lord have delivered them into our hand and this
Shall be a sign unto us. So they're saying like we're below them
We're gonna have to like climb up to get to them
But if they say hey come up unto us then that's gonna be a sign from God that he is going to deliver us
But again humanly speaking this makes no sense because everybody knows the high ground is the advantage, right?
They're gonna have to literally climb up to this passageway and they're saying hey if we have to climb up and do the hard thing
that's how we know that God is actually on our side and both of them discover themselves unto the garrison of the
Philistines and the Philistines said behold the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they have hid themselves
You're gonna see pride go with before a fall
Verse 12 and the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bear and said come up to us and we will show you a
Thing Jonathan said unto his armor bear come up after me for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of
Israel go to Acts chapter number four, you know, this takes boldness right here
We don't live in this type of society many of us aren't climbing mountains. Many of us have never been in war
But could you just imagine this innumerable multitude above you geographically?
It's two dudes and you're just gonna crawl up there and just discover yourselves
Make yourselves known of them and you're gonna fight these people that is intense
I mean if this actually happened in like our military this person would be like Medal of Honor recipients
There would be movies in their name. There would be video games made after them
Everybody would know the story be like an iconic picture of like Iwo Jima or something, you know
Jonathan and his armor bear crawling up to this sharp passageways incredible acts chapter 4 verse 29
But you know God uses bold people and now Lord behold their threatenings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness
They may speak thy word by stretching forth thine hand to heal and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy
Child Jesus and when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the holy
Ghost and they spake the word of God with boldness and the multitude of them that believed we're of one heart and of one soul
Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things common and with great
Power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all
So you notice in this passage the Apostles are talking about Lord behold their threatenings, right?
They're under threat of their life very often in the New Testament. But even though that there's threatenings there's danger
What were they doing? They were speaking the word of God with boldness
And you know today in the New Testament, we're not in any physical battles
We're not going out against the Canaanites or the Philistines or anything like that
But you know what we are doing. There are many people that threaten us
There are many people that hate us
But we still need to have the boldness to go out and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ
And you want to know what happened look at verse 32 and the multitude of them that believed you see their boldness actually brought
results even though that there was threat of their lives they were bold and a
Multitude got saved and that's the exact attitude that we have today look and with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord
You know that's that's boldness right there, and you know what we do we do
Confrontational soul winning and think about this you know oftentimes
We're not under threat of a bodily harm or arrest maybe a Karen will get mad at you every once in a while or a can
Or something like that, but you know what it could still be hard especially for someone that's never done it before
To think like I'm just gonna go up to a random stranger's door, or here's their worst fear. Maybe someone
I know that's like the worst fears like you're running like a co-worker or like a buddy from high school or something like that
I'm just gonna knock in this random person's door, and I'm just gonna bring up hell and heaven to a random stranger
That's that could take some boldness you know and many people don't do it just for fear of that confrontation
But you know what we need to do we need to be like Jonathan and his armor bearer and just do the hard thing be bold
And like what happened here multitudes were saved, and I've seen people that are shy that struggle with soul winning at the beginning
You know they get the hang of it
They shake the nerves and they turn out being a great soul winner
And you know what they to get multitudes saved throughout their whole life. You know that's what God wants for us
But you know also it could be
Contational and it could take some boldness not just to go soul winning
But just to be a Christian that believes all the doctrines of the Bible and to preach all the doctrines of the Bible
And when someone asks you you actually make it known what you believe and your family says well
What are you talking about my body my choice, and it's like first of all it's not her body
It's a different body second of all every law that exists tells you what you could do with your body
And the Bible says it's murder the Bible says you know that
Life begins at conception you can show them Jeremiah you can show Matthew you know that takes boldness oftentimes
Especially if you have like a raging liberal family, but you know in our society right now
There are some fights that are raging that is gonna take some bold Christians just to say like hey
I don't care what you think. I don't care if you write an article. I don't care if you protest our church
We're gonna keep saying that abortion is murder because it's true. Hey, I don't care
What kind of articles you make but we're still gonna say that fags should be put to death because it's true
We're still gonna say that if you smite your mother or father or you curse your mother father
You should be put to death because it's true because it's what God says, you know what today?
We need some Christians that are bold not worried about how can we be a seeker sensitive as possible?
How can we get the most bodies through the door instead thinking like hey
There's fights going on that our children are gonna have to live with the consequences of the culture that we're creating and say hey
We're gonna preach against sin. We're gonna preach what the Bible says nuts to whoever likes it or dislikes it
We're gonna be in the minority, but you know what we need to preach the Bible says anyways, go back to 1st Samuel 14
I'll read for you 2nd Timothy 1 7 for God has not given us the spirit of fear
But of power and of love and of a sound mind verse 13
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet and his armor bearer after him and they fell before
Jonathan and his armor bearer slew after him. This is hardcore right here
You know Jonathan's just tripping them and his armor bearers piercing them through with sword just person after person after person
Body after body verse 14 in that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about 20
Men within as it were in half acre of land to yoke of oxen might plow
That's an intense story right there two dudes
Versus 20 and they killed all of them and Jonathan and his armor bearer still standing verse 15
And there was a there was trembling in the host in the field and among all the people the garrison and the spoilers
They also trembled and the earth quaked. So it was a very great trembling, you know
Now we're seeing God step in, you know, we're talking about how did they get this victory?
It's because God looked at a man that was proactive that had initiative that believed God could do something
That was bold and God stepped in for that person
All of a sudden God shakes the earth verse 16 and the watchman of Saul and gibbion of Benjamin looked and behold multitude melted away
They went on beating down one another, you know, they're starting to get the do nothings attention
They're doing so much work verse 17 then said Saul unto the people that were with him number now and see who was gone from us
When they had numbered behold Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there
You know, I wonder if that surprised Saul because he's saying man. There's such a huge battle going on up there
There's so much happening up there. Surely. I'm missing like a hundred guys at least I'm missing all these people
They just finds out it's just Jonathan is armor-bearer. He's probably just like whoa, what's going on verse 18?
Saul said unto Ahiah bring hither the ark of God for the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel
And it came to pass while Saul talked unto the priest that the noise
That was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased and Saul said unto the priest
Withdraw thine hand and Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves and they came to the battle and behold
Every man's sword was against his fellow and there was a very great
Discomfiture. What do you see here? You see God miraculously intervening and winning the battle for them because remember last chapter
The whole nation was disarmed besides Jonathan and Saul and I remember I was telling you guys these people they should not have been fearful
They had the wrong attitude because if God's on their side
Nothing else matters doesn't matter if you're outnumbered doesn't matter if you have no weapons if God is on your side
you are undefeatable to the point where here's the Philistines and innumerable multitude and
God has just like caused some sort of confusion to come upon them where they're just all killing each other
They're just all stabbing each other with their swords and just destroying each other. I mean what an amazing story
This is it's incredible verse 21 moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time
Which went up with them into the camp from the country roundabout?
even they also turn to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves
In Mount Ephraim when they heard that the Philistines fled even they also followed hard after them in the battle
So notice all these people that were scared that were quitters that were weak once they found out
Hey, we're actually on the winning side. Hey, Saul and Jonathan are actually doing great things for God. They're actually winning
They're actually destroying the enemy all of a sudden now
Now they're ready to go to battle now
They're ready to join themselves unto the right company and you know what that's okay
Because the more the merrier in the Christian life, you know
There's oftentimes gonna be people that quit on us when things get hard when the protests come because they're just spiritually weak
Let's just be honest. Not everyone's on the same level spiritually. There's babes in Christ. There's those that are mature
You know when those battles come you'll often see people quit and fall out
but what's funny is when all of a sudden your church starts succeeding and the attendance goes up and the missions trips happen and the
Documentaries come out and things start doing well
You know you often see is you see the people that hid themselves and that forsook you and that went away
They come back and you know what praise God for that and when that happens welcome them back welcome into the army
Hopefully they'll be strong for the next one
But but the message for you and for us is just don't be those people to begin with don't quit to begin with don't be a coward
To begin with don't be weak to begin with just be strong trust the Lord
You know what's great is when you start with something small when you start with something. That's not that impressive
That's not that cool, and then you see God
Prosperate you see God come through you see God bless it and they're on the winning side
They're doing great exploits, but you were there at the beginning you were there when it wasn't that cool
You were there when it was in a strip mall or whatever you were there when there wasn't that many soul winners
But you know what at least you were one of the strong ones. At least you were the one of the ones that were proactive
Hopefully like Jonathan and his armor bear. So in conclusion, how did they go from being completely outnumbered to winning the battle?
Well number one because Jonathan was proactive. What's the lesson for us?
Let's be a church that takes initiative and just tries things that just does things that does works for God without having to be told
What to do and without the promise of whether or not it's gonna prosper
You know what? Let's just be proactive. Anyways, you know
Let's actually believe that God can do something in this church that God can do something in your life and realize hey
God doesn't owe you anything. You're not owed health and wealth and prosperity
But you know what God can give you those things and God can bless our church, you know
We need to be a church. That's okay with being outnumbered. Hey, we're the few
We're few that are saved fewer disciples fewer soul winners. You are preaching the whole counsel of God. Just be okay with that
In fact, why don't you just enjoy it being the special forces like pastor Shelly put it, you know
Jonathan also had a loyal follower at his side, you know, let's be loyal to the Word of God
Let's be loyal to each other spouses be loyal to each other friends be loyal to each other
And lastly because Jonathan was bold and you know
There's never been a great work done for God in the Bible or just in our personal lives
By someone that was weak by someone that was timid by someone that didn't know what they believed, you know
It's always done by someone that's bold and you know it that's not being prideful
That's actually being humble because you're saying I believe that this has power. I believe that we could do great works for God
I believe that the preaching of God's Word can change people's lives can change communities
You know what? Let's actually believe that it's be like Jonathan and his armor bear. Let's pray Lord. Thank you for this day
Thank you for this great chapter in the Word of God
I just pray that you would help us to be
Bold warriors like Jonathan and his armor bear that we would trust you that we would try things
It wouldn't be prideful that we'd be bold Lord
And I just pray that you bless all the members of this church
You'd help us to continue to have a steadfast mission and a heart to reach the loss in this community
We pray for the upcoming transition to anchor Baptist Church. Pray for safety travels for everyone on that weekend
And we pray that you bless our pastor this evening. We love you in Jesus name we pray. Amen
If you would grab a hymnal and we'll go ahead and sing one last song to conclude the service hymn number
264 once for all
for
264 go ahead and start there right on the first free from the law
Jesus
Remembrance by the law set 3d swans for