Church notes - February 2017
Church notes - February 2017
5th February
Sermon
David - Shepherd, Warrior, Worshipper, King
1 Samuel 16:1 - 13
Samuel Annoints David
First impressions are almost never reliable.
Saul - was self centred. He wasn't of much use to God.
Eliab - despite Samuel's first impression, wasn't who God wanted.
vs7
We need spiritual discernment in these matters.
David - described as being one after God's own heart,
Who do we honour?
It should be people whose lives are marked by the fruit of the Spirit.
If the Lord looks at the heart?
How is your heart?
How much priority is developing your heart?
How much time and effort do you put into developing your heart?
Communion
John 3:16, 17
He was servant hearted.
12th February
David - Shepherd, Warrior, Worshipper, King
1 Samuel 17
David and Goliath
We are challenged by Giants of Life.
- This is not the way God wants us to live. We are to live with a sense of faith.
Fear - leads to bad decisions
vs 17, 18
Was jesse attempting to bribe the Commander to keep his sons out of harms way?
Fear, rather than faith in God.
vs37
We need to ensure that our previous faith experiences are fresh in our minds. Thus our faith would be strengthened.
David fought Goliath in God's power
Psalm 18
We need to be motivated by faith, rather than by fear,
He will bring us victory, if we pursue His will.
19th February
David - Shepherd, Warrior, Worshipper, King
Communion - Luke 22: 7 - 13
Sermon
Saul's Jealousy, David and Jonathan
1 Samuel 18:1 - 3, 1 Samuel 20
Relationships are important
Relationship - source of passion, but also pain if they are failing.
David and Jonathan
- Had become one. A very close relationship (but not homosexual!)
Chapter 18 - Saul sent David off to war.
David is blessed. He builds his reputation.
Secret Meeting - David placed a great amount of trust in Jonathan.
If we are offended - don't judge others motives.
Look at your own motives
Saul's heart was in a very negative and paranoid place.
David was risking his life by trusting Jonathan.
A good friendship is sacrificial.
Proverbs 18:24
We need to make sacrifices to make relationships work, Particularly marriages.
Good friends need to be trustworthy.
No trust, no relationship. Trustworthiness brings friends together.
Friendship should be without conditions
Love is selfless and unconditional.
Good friends are faithful.
Proverbs 17:17
A friend is one who comes in when the world goes out.
Proverbs 27:17
A real friend will sharpen you.
1 Samuel 23:16, 17
Friendship - not just about good times - but also able to survive confrontation.
26 February
David: Shepherd, Warrior, Worshipper, King
Saul's Jelousy
1 Samuel 18,: 5 -16
1 Samuel 19:9 - 17
Saul has been nurturing pride, jelousy, envy and fear.
These are destructive to any relationship.
God was with David in everything he did.
Envy is a dangerous and insidious enemy, a cancer that slowly eats out our inner life.
Proverbs 14:30
Fear disturbs our thinking.
vs 12
Anger
Saul had probably brooded over how David had insulted him, disrespected him and is plotting against him.
What eats away at our spiritual life is not the cultural trivia we haggle over, but the covert presence of attitudes such as jelousy, pride.
This is what happened to Saul.
It also happened to Cain, Esau and Joseph's brothers. It is not a victimless sin. It is a serious sin. 'Fountain of disasters'.
The Damage is done to ourselves rather than to others.
Christ's Cure for Jelousy
Luke 9:46 - 48
There should be no contest amoung us about who is greatest.
Destructive to relationships.
- Marriages
- Families
- Workplaces
- The Church
- Sporting Clubs
- Schools
Search out to see if there is jelousy in any of your relationships
- If there is - Repent!
- If there isn't - stand against it!