WEBVTT 00:00:00.620 --> 00:00:04.560 This morning this passage is going to present to us something I think significant for the Christian life. 00:00:04.620 --> 00:00:06.160 And let me just give you two reasons why. 00:00:06.340 --> 00:00:12.350 One is because of the purpose for which our church exists and any church in the name of the Lord should exist. 00:00:13.040 --> 00:00:17.300 And that is simply to glorify God and allow the Lord to conform us into His image. 00:00:17.880 --> 00:00:19.930 We live for His purpose and passion. 00:00:20.400 --> 00:00:22.720 We want to know Jesus. 00:00:22.720 --> 00:00:29.880 If there's anything that I want you to know about ABC as you're here, if you're here for the first time, if you're here for the thousandth time that we've gathered, 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:37.580 that our desire as a church is to know Jesus and to cling to Jesus and pursue Jesus and make much of 00:00:37.580 --> 00:00:43.000 Jesus, because we understand the reason which we were created for as people is to know God. 00:00:43.100 --> 00:00:50.220 God made us as worship beings to find our delight and purpose for our existence in knowing Him and making 00:00:50.220 --> 00:00:51.620 Him known in this world, right? 00:00:51.940 --> 00:00:56.740 You were created for relationship and that relationship is ultimately finding God, God made you for His purpose. 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:04.879 Something that really destroys the soul from living that purpose for which God has called us to 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:07.620 in Him is this idea of envy. 00:01:08.890 --> 00:01:16.040 Sometimes we like to couple the thought of envy with jealousy as if they're interchangeable and to some degree they are, I'll talk 00:01:16.040 --> 00:01:17.000 a little bit about that. 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:24.540 But what we're finding in 1 Samuel 18 is that Saul is fighting with this idea 00:01:24.540 --> 00:01:25.810 of envy. 00:01:27.020 --> 00:01:33.640 And what you see in the context of this passage is that envy leads to the destruction of really King Saul. 00:01:35.060 --> 00:01:42.570 And so we're going to look at the destruction that takes place and the idea of envy and how we escape it as God's people. 00:01:43.260 --> 00:01:45.520 And in 1 Samuel 18 this is where it starts. 00:01:46.140 --> 00:01:52.280 It begins to share with us this idea of Saul's destruction through envy. 00:01:52.580 --> 00:02:01.300 Proverbs 14:30 it says this was, "A heart at peace gives life to the body but envy rots the bones." And 00:02:01.300 --> 00:02:07.100 so our pursuit to look in this passage is to not follow that path that Saul is walking down. 00:02:07.160 --> 00:02:09.620 So how do we understand envy? 00:02:09.620 --> 00:02:11.460 Because I think that's important. 00:02:11.580 --> 00:02:18.620 I said a little bit ago that we sometimes use the word envy and jealousy as interchangeable terms but they're not entirely 00:02:18.620 --> 00:02:20.060 the same type of word. 00:02:20.480 --> 00:02:23.580 And there's a reason why we have two words here, they're not always interchangeable. 00:02:23.580 --> 00:02:30.820 When you think about the idea of envy and jealousy, jealousy has to do with taking ownership of something that you already possess 00:02:30.820 --> 00:02:33.860 and that could be an unhealthy thing. 00:02:33.860 --> 00:02:41.020 For the most part it usually is, if you find yourself walking in jealousy is because you possess something and you become possessive over this here, 00:02:41.260 --> 00:02:42.100 jealous over, right? 00:02:42.480 --> 00:02:46.100 There are a few Bible passages that actually talk about jealousy in a godly way. 00:02:46.220 --> 00:02:53.240 In 2 Corinthians 11:2 Paul talks about the church being jealous over the church because they have been a spouse to Christ and he wants to 00:02:53.260 --> 00:02:55.540 present them as a pure virgin to Jesus. 00:02:55.860 --> 00:03:03.060 So he's jealous over the church in a godly way because his desire for the church is for them to know Jesus, to remain pure in their walk with 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:03.700 Jesus. 00:03:03.700 --> 00:03:08.820 So jealousy isn't always a bad word but for the most part it generally is. 00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:11.300 Envy a little bit different than that. 00:03:11.300 --> 00:03:16.970 Jealousy, being jealous over something you already possess and it's sometimes toxic to our life, there's things that we're jealous over. 00:03:17.640 --> 00:03:20.700 Envy is wanting something that you don't possess, right? 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:28.120 Someone else has this and you see it as this obstacle and so you desire that thing that you see someone else with as if it belongs 00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:31.100 to you and so you become envious of that. 00:03:32.180 --> 00:03:39.680 And when we look at this passage, we really have both playing in the life of Saul because Saul is the King so he's 00:03:39.720 --> 00:03:45.130 trying to hold on to what he feels belongs to him though God doesn't want him to have it, that's the kingship. 00:03:45.420 --> 00:03:52.780 So he's jealous in that way but also he's envious of David in other ways because they're praising him for things that Saul himself hasn't 00:03:52.780 --> 00:03:53.620 been able to accomplish. 00:03:54.520 --> 00:04:01.560 You see both playing out here, but I'm going to highlight the idea of envy as we look to this passage because I think regardless as 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:07.430 we address one of them we'll find a solution to both of those that we wrestle with as human beings. 00:04:08.300 --> 00:04:15.520 As to what we find in these verses, in 1 Samuel 18:6-7, without 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:22.580 even having to say Saul is going to become envious or even lay out the story beyond verse seven. 00:04:23.060 --> 00:04:28.040 What you start to see in these first couple of verses is definitely laying the groundwork for someone to get frustrated. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:34.180 I mean, in this first couple of verses what you see is David returning from battle with the Philistines. 00:04:35.300 --> 00:04:39.400 And David was successful in defeating many Philistines and so they write a song for him. 00:04:39.520 --> 00:04:41.020 Remember verse six and seven, it goes like this. 00:04:41.440 --> 00:04:48.460 "It happened as they were coming when David returned from killing the Philistines that the women came out of all the cities of 00:04:48.460 --> 00:04:54.760 Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. 00:04:54.780 --> 00:05:03.540 And the women saying as they played and said, "Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands." And 00:05:03.540 --> 00:05:10.600 so you begin to see already this idea of acknowledging something that David has that Saul hasn't been able to 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:11.220 accomplish. 00:05:11.220 --> 00:05:16.620 And so the groundwork is being laid for this idea of Saul becoming envious. 00:05:16.660 --> 00:05:19.320 And then in verse eight you see it grow in Saul. 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:24.500 Then Saul became very angry for this saying displeased him. 00:05:25.740 --> 00:05:30.760 And he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands but to me they have ascribed thousands? 00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:39.000 Now what more can he have but the kingdom?" So 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:41.960 what is this envy? 00:05:43.400 --> 00:05:46.260 How do we begin to understand this thing called envy? 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:55.840 When we look at this beginning passage of scripture what we find is that envy starts with comparing. 00:05:58.540 --> 00:06:00.000 Envy starts with comparing. 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:05.320 David has his 10 thousands but Saul only has his thousands. 00:06:06.860 --> 00:06:12.930 I mean we can stop right there, I could probably just say that statement and then make an entire sermon over the danger of just that thought. 00:06:13.580 --> 00:06:15.300 Envy always starts with comparison. 00:06:15.380 --> 00:06:21.570 I can tell you real quick for a believer to get their eyes off of what Jesus wants them to do is to start worrying about what everyone else is doing. 00:06:24.320 --> 00:06:31.420 You start looking at what other people have, you start becoming jealous and envious of wanting that for you too and you start asking the question, 00:06:31.520 --> 00:06:33.260 "Okay, God, how have you created me? 00:06:33.540 --> 00:06:37.200 God, what is it you called me to?" And you start saying, "If I were just more like... 00:06:37.280 --> 00:06:37.680 Then God. 00:06:38.140 --> 00:06:45.200 Then I could do the things that would really honor you." And so we take our eyes off of the things that the Lord wants for us in our lives and the type of life that 00:06:45.200 --> 00:06:50.680 He's called us for and we start looking towards other people as if that's where the solution is at. 00:06:51.140 --> 00:06:59.800 But let me just say this for us guys, God doesn't call you to 00:06:59.840 --> 00:07:00.960 be like your neighbor down the street. 00:07:04.820 --> 00:07:08.820 God doesn't call a church to be like the church down the road. 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:19.200 The quickest way to get off the path for which God has created you for is to start comparing 00:07:19.200 --> 00:07:20.160 yourself to other people. 00:07:23.480 --> 00:07:25.660 God created you to fix your eyes on Him. 00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:36.340 And what you see in the life of Saul is he starts to comparing and comparing, he doesn't 00:07:36.340 --> 00:07:41.560 appreciate what God has done and where he is in his own journey with the Lord. 00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:50.920 There's no more rejoicing, there's no more thankfulness in his life because he's become so fixated 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:56.410 on the other thing that he thinks he needs in order to find the joy that he thinks he deserves. 00:07:59.540 --> 00:08:06.700 And Saul's heart just walks in emptiness because he can't find a hold because he's focused on something other than what God's call 00:08:06.700 --> 00:08:07.260 is for him. 00:08:07.260 --> 00:08:11.280 And so envy is about comparing and then envy becomes about desire. 00:08:12.460 --> 00:08:15.220 And this is what you see in Saul, he starts comparing and then he begins to desire. 00:08:15.260 --> 00:08:22.380 And then verse nine it says this, "Saul looked at David with suspicion from that day on." And what he's saying 00:08:22.380 --> 00:08:24.640 is Saul has a jealous eye. 00:08:26.440 --> 00:08:32.240 From that day forward everything that Saul was about was this comparison to David as to whether or not he was better than King David. 00:08:33.220 --> 00:08:37.080 Not so much about, "What does Jesus think about me?" But rather, "What does other people think about me? 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:40.960 Do they see me as better than David because all I really want in life is to be better than David? 00:08:41.020 --> 00:08:48.460 The reason God created me is to be better than David, am I better than David?" From 00:08:48.460 --> 00:08:52.100 that day on Saul had this desire, this jealous eye. 00:08:52.100 --> 00:08:59.140 And then the result of that envy produces this idea of resentment or vexation, animosity, hatred, 00:09:00.620 --> 00:09:01.580 frustration. 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:08.860 You're you can put all kinds of adjectives in the blank in our notes but this envy produces this resentment 00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:11.820 that you see a person as the enemy. 00:09:14.980 --> 00:09:17.610 No longer is it about an issue anymore it's become personal. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:26.060 It's not just about the idea it's now about the person that's stopping you from reaching this idea. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:29.060 You see someone else and what they have is they don't deserve it. 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:30.840 I deserve it. 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:37.180 We got to be careful in our lives because in envy we tend to mask our vexation in envy. 00:09:38.140 --> 00:09:40.240 We justify how we behave. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:47.520 Meaning if someone does something that you don't think that they deserve but you deserve it because you know better what to do with it and you become angry of it, you can justify your 00:09:47.520 --> 00:09:53.590 behavior, after all you're more righteous. 00:09:56.840 --> 00:10:03.900 And so it doesn't matter what you do from that point forward because of them and so you 00:10:03.900 --> 00:10:07.790 become envious to the point that it becomes resentful. 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:09.360 And here's the problem guys. 00:10:09.460 --> 00:10:16.540 If someone's behavior is in the right or in the wrong, we as God's people for 00:10:16.540 --> 00:10:23.800 us that doesn't lead to the point that we need to diminish the 00:10:23.800 --> 00:10:26.910 beauty of someone else as an individual, does that make sense? 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:34.140 Meaning just because someone has something and you don't think that they deserve it, maybe even more envious of it and we want to justify 00:10:34.140 --> 00:10:35.920 in our anger as if it's a righteous anger. 00:10:38.800 --> 00:10:46.600 Maliciously tearing someone else down is never what we're called to as people even if what someone else is doing is in the wrong because what 00:10:46.640 --> 00:10:48.900 God is always interested in is the heart. 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:55.080 God is interested in reaching people. 00:10:55.080 --> 00:11:00.440 And if we're not careful in those positions we start to justify this jealousy or envy. 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:07.600 If we start maligning someone else or attacking someone else we have put a distance between the work that God might desire to do in someone 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:08.140 else's heart. 00:11:09.780 --> 00:11:16.780 The kind of things that we get envious for about, we get envious over possessions, we get envious over 00:11:16.780 --> 00:11:23.860 power, lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, all of those things we become envious 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:24.590 over. 00:11:27.460 --> 00:11:34.520 I think as I relate to the idea of where we are today in our own culture right now, you turn on the news, you 00:11:34.520 --> 00:11:39.960 know we're in a political season I'm not going to make this real specific to politics but I'm going to use this as an example for just a minute. 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:45.460 Sometimes we don't like what someone else does in a position of power. 00:11:46.860 --> 00:11:54.180 And so maybe we wouldn't call it envious because they're dominating over that but we desire to respond by getting power ourselves, 00:11:54.340 --> 00:12:01.000 so we'll tear the other person down to have their position so that we can have power so that we can tell them what's right or wrong. 00:12:04.740 --> 00:12:11.700 And what ultimately happens in that type of attitude you alienate yourself from other people. 00:12:13.040 --> 00:12:20.280 If I gave it to you a specific example like today I know there's all kinds of hot button topics but I know as a church one of the things that we stand for, we're 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:23.360 people that believe in the sanctity of life. 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:32.320 Unless just for a moment you get all the power in the world to declare to the world that if you're only here for the preservation of 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:34.360 life and everything that's against that's illegal. 00:12:37.020 --> 00:12:39.130 And let's say you win the day or something like that. 00:12:41.700 --> 00:12:48.720 Even though you may win the day and a position like that and I think the preservation of life is important, you can do so at the expense 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:49.680 of losing the heart of others. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:50.740 Does that make sense? 00:12:52.340 --> 00:12:59.440 Well, what I'm saying for us is this, as believers guys when I think about the example of Jesus in this world, Jesus was a leader of influence not 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:04.420 because He became flesh and demanded power, Jesus became flesh and lived as a servant. 00:13:06.180 --> 00:13:12.620 And Jesus influenced the world not by holding political position and I think all of those things have a place in life. 00:13:13.760 --> 00:13:24.320 But look just because come November 4th and vote however you want or whatever day is or November 3rd this year and you vote however you want, in 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:25.690 the end it doesn't mean that you want a heart. 00:13:26.380 --> 00:13:27.790 I mean, four years from now things could change. 00:13:29.540 --> 00:13:36.700 So it's not this facade of, "If I just get power and I dominate and I'll show everybody what's right." It's this idea of checking a heart to determine why 00:13:36.760 --> 00:13:38.300 it's sad, it's not about maligning people. 00:13:38.340 --> 00:13:41.890 You see here with King Saul that King Saul has come to the point that he's attacking David. 00:13:42.460 --> 00:13:43.600 And attacking David what does it do? 00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:47.400 It divides the kingdom and it never unites hearts, it's always against them. 00:13:47.860 --> 00:13:54.670 And maybe they do have two different positions here, maybe they don't agree with one another but they're never going to win the day and what God wants to accomplish unless they work together. 00:13:58.140 --> 00:13:59.080 And here's what I mean for us. 00:14:02.400 --> 00:14:09.460 Don't end what God's called you to do in this world simply by going somewhere and casting a vote or sharing a political 00:14:09.460 --> 00:14:11.570 position as if it's the only platform to live on. 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:16.400 Man, God has called us to something greater in this world, it's about influencing hearts for His kingdom. 00:14:16.420 --> 00:14:23.440 And there's something that will stop us from living the purpose of which God has called us to and that's what it's saying in 1 Samuel 18 is 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:23.540 envy. 00:14:25.500 --> 00:14:26.720 It's jealousy in the heart. 00:14:28.140 --> 00:14:35.220 You get so fixated on what everyone else is doing and how everyone else is doing is wrong and this anger builds within us that we stop living for the purpose of which Jesus has 00:14:35.260 --> 00:14:40.510 called us to influence the life of others to make a difference. 00:14:42.940 --> 00:14:50.060 But even if you're on the other side of the fence to still see that someone's created sacredly in Christ and needs to know Christ and the reason 00:14:50.060 --> 00:14:57.380 they're living in such destruction in this world is because they don't know Him, and the more I'ma align myself against them, the less likely I'm able to reach them 00:14:57.380 --> 00:15:02.560 for what God has called them to in this world, to know Him and to delight in Him for the same reason He's called me. 00:15:04.380 --> 00:15:11.520 And so this passage of scripture is saying, "Look, envy leads to destruction." And so the question is, how do we escape it? 00:15:11.880 --> 00:15:16.060 Looking a little further in this passage of scripture we need to understand what envy does, right? 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:17.440 In verse 10, let me read this. 00:15:17.880 --> 00:15:21.520 "The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. 00:15:21.920 --> 00:15:28.760 He was prophesying in his house while David was playing the lyre as he usually did." What happens to Saul here? 00:15:28.760 --> 00:15:35.840 Well now in this state of envy he's got this evil spirit and here's what it's saying to us, "A 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:40.580 life of envy will rob you joy." That's what you see with David. 00:15:40.780 --> 00:15:42.160 A life of envy will rob you joy. 00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:45.020 In Hebrews 11:25 it says something interesting. 00:15:45.240 --> 00:15:52.320 It says, "Sin is fun for a season." If you don't love Jesus know this, if you just go out and decide to sin, 00:15:53.240 --> 00:15:55.480 at least you're going to have fun for a season, right? 00:15:56.620 --> 00:16:03.780 But when it comes to envy, envy seems to be that one sin that as soon as your life is fixed on it you're 00:16:03.780 --> 00:16:04.700 never going to be happy. 00:16:06.880 --> 00:16:09.500 You always keep searching. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:13.860 "If I just had this," you're never content where you're at. 00:16:14.860 --> 00:16:19.460 It's always the next thing and the next thing and the next thing and it robs you joy. 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:25.520 It robs you joy and you see this with Saul, it robs his joy. 00:16:25.520 --> 00:16:36.840 And not only does it rob his joy, the further thought to that is it destroys his soul. 00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:40.760 It destroys his soul from the goodness for which God has created in him. 00:16:41.680 --> 00:16:44.290 And then what we find is that his envy hurts others. 00:16:46.940 --> 00:16:54.200 In verse 10, the last part of verse 10, and it says, "And the spear was in Saul's hand." In verse 11, "And Saul hurled the spear for he thought, 00:16:54.560 --> 00:17:03.160 'I will pin David to the wall.' But David escaped from his presence twice." That 00:17:03.160 --> 00:17:10.319 jealousy, that envy in Saul not only did it tear him apart but 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:13.240 it made him a toxic individual to be around. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:23.660 Could you imagine without a heart aligned to God? 00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:30.700 Say I was in charge or you were in charge and really you're the only person that stood in your way to anything that you wanted because you're 00:17:30.700 --> 00:17:38.660 the ruler of the land, anything that your heart desired, what 00:17:38.660 --> 00:17:39.780 kind of individual would you be? 00:17:42.740 --> 00:17:44.220 And this is where King Saul is, right? 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:52.060 Anytime his heart gets off course of the things of the Lord, whatever it is that he wants he can become destructive to get it. 00:17:54.260 --> 00:18:01.580 And you see that in that type of attitude not only does this envy affect him but it makes him toxic to all relationships around 00:18:01.580 --> 00:18:01.680 him. 00:18:01.900 --> 00:18:09.240 He's just a bitter person and a hateful person and a destructive person to the point that he's pursuing life. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:17.080 And so the question then becomes for us, and when you look at what envy is, what envy can produce, how it can rob our joy. 00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:25.000 How do we not be that kind of person where we're toxic, we're against the things that God desires, we're living 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:27.480 for our own kingdom purpose and really it hurts everyone around? 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:28.670 How do we escape envy? 00:18:32.820 --> 00:18:34.710 How do we find that life and joy? 00:18:34.740 --> 00:18:42.420 Well, in 1 Samuel 18:1-4, really before it begins to tell us about King Saul, it 00:18:42.460 --> 00:18:43.440 describes to us another character. 00:18:45.320 --> 00:18:52.560 And this character is one that pursues the good things of God and 00:18:52.660 --> 00:18:57.900 really what we find in his life is how to escape the things of enemy and it's through the character named Jonathan. 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:03.540 In 1 Samuel 18:1-4, I'm going to read these verses I want you to just follow along with me here. 00:19:03.540 --> 00:19:10.640 It says, "Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul," talking about David, 00:19:11.560 --> 00:19:17.920 "That the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as himself. 00:19:18.900 --> 00:19:22.360 And Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:26.200 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 00:19:26.560 --> 00:19:33.820 And Jonathan stripped himself of the royal robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, including his sword 00:19:33.820 --> 00:19:41.080 and his bow and his belt." A totally juxtaposed position from King Saul. 00:19:42.320 --> 00:19:46.420 King Saul, anger, resentment, I want that, destroy you to get it. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:55.080 But David, Saul's own son life, goodness, relationship, peace. 00:19:57.320 --> 00:19:58.510 How did Jonathan find that? 00:20:00.620 --> 00:20:03.060 Well, the answer I'm going to show us just point to a couple of verses here. 00:20:03.060 --> 00:20:05.620 If you look in verse four, if we look at what Jonathan did. 00:20:08.080 --> 00:20:15.220 Verse four Jonathan does something very interesting, something that most would consider this out of the norm, not typical response especially 00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:16.640 in a man of his position. 00:20:17.040 --> 00:20:24.140 But in verse four it tells us that he stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his 00:20:24.140 --> 00:20:24.240 belt. 00:20:27.140 --> 00:20:30.780 Here in this passage what Jonathan begins to recognize is the anointing that's on David. 00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:40.160 That God wants to work through David, that the will of the Lord right now is moving through David and Jonathan wants to join in the cause 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:42.770 for which God desires to accomplish in this world. 00:20:44.700 --> 00:20:47.960 And so in order to join in the way that God is moving what did Jonathon do? 00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:56.560 He strips off his royal robe, his armor, his sword, and he hands it to David. 00:20:57.840 --> 00:20:59.980 Now, just reading over this may not look like a big deal. 00:20:59.980 --> 00:21:01.300 We think who cares? 00:21:01.760 --> 00:21:09.040 He's the king son, he's probably got a million robes but the symbolism of this is important because what it's acknowledging is that Jonathan 00:21:09.040 --> 00:21:16.100 is stripping off his royal position and he's handing it to someone else and not only that, he's 00:21:16.100 --> 00:21:17.180 giving him his sword. 00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:23.740 And maybe you've seen acts like this in the movies where there's someone who would just offer this before another. 00:21:23.980 --> 00:21:27.500 And Jonathan is leaving himself without any arms of defense. 00:21:28.740 --> 00:21:35.660 And David in these moments could just see Jonathan as what's standing in his way to take the throne and take the sword and cut off his head and then he rolls, right? 00:21:38.180 --> 00:21:43.280 But Jonathan is trusting in David in the way that God is moving and ultimately he's trusting in the Lord. 00:21:44.980 --> 00:21:52.220 So much so that Jonathan is willing to step off his throne that should be rightfully his through his father 00:21:53.800 --> 00:21:59.060 in order to hand it over to the way that the Lord is moving in the life around. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:03.740 The second thing that Jonathan does. 00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:13.040 It says in end at the end of verse one, the very last few words of verse one, "Jonathan loved David as himself." 00:22:16.540 --> 00:22:23.540 Now not only is Jonathan willing to surrender to what the Lord's doing, but Jonathan is also willing 00:22:23.540 --> 00:22:27.740 to love those that are even in opposition to his position. 00:22:29.760 --> 00:22:37.120 I mean if God wants you to take this position in order to do what He's calling us to as a people in this world, then I'll allow you to have this position 00:22:37.120 --> 00:22:39.060 in order to do that and I will love you through it all. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:46.080 And so John Jonathan is teaching us something about biblical love, Jonathan loved David. 00:22:48.280 --> 00:22:50.110 So you think about this in terms of your own family. 00:22:50.320 --> 00:22:57.060 Parents if we were to say, "Do you want your kids to be more successful than you?" I mean, that's what Jonathan's doing with David here. 00:22:57.560 --> 00:23:04.600 "Do you want your children to be more successful than you in life?" I think most of us, hopefully all of us will be 00:23:04.600 --> 00:23:09.380 like, "Yeah, I want my kids to be more successful." And why would you want to do that? 00:23:11.560 --> 00:23:12.320 Because you love them. 00:23:16.020 --> 00:23:16.960 Because you love them, right? 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:21.420 Now we could describe a little bit about what we think success means. 00:23:22.860 --> 00:23:25.020 Sometimes our idea of success is a little different. 00:23:25.180 --> 00:23:32.220 Let me just say when you get to heaven or when your kids get to heaven, if you want to see them successful as parents, when your kids get to heaven I seriously 00:23:32.220 --> 00:23:36.460 doubt God's going to be there saying, "What was your GPA in life? 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:38.320 How many degrees did you have? 00:23:39.280 --> 00:23:39.970 What was your income? 00:23:40.820 --> 00:23:41.980 Did you play on any sports teams? 00:23:43.400 --> 00:23:50.440 You're not good enough." There's a way that God judges success that sometimes is a lot different than the way that we do here 00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:50.880 in the world. 00:23:52.300 --> 00:24:01.000 I don't know why as parents sometimes we're better teaching our young people to 00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:04.500 keep their eye on the ball than we are keeping our eye on Jesus. 00:24:07.700 --> 00:24:14.760 When we talk about biblical love we're not talking about a worldly love, we're talking 00:24:14.820 --> 00:24:17.280 about an unconditional, sacrificial love. 00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:26.900 A love that's willing to lay down your life that someone else may succeed for the benefit of others according 00:24:26.900 --> 00:24:29.130 to what God describes as success. 00:24:31.980 --> 00:24:33.200 And this is where Jonathan's heart is. 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:38.740 It's not about his power to dominate and tell other people what he wants, it's not about him. 00:24:40.220 --> 00:24:40.900 That's what Saul wants. 00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:51.580 "I want to be in charge to rule this world, I want to be in charge to get what I want." What 00:24:51.580 --> 00:24:53.690 if you get what you want and no hearts to reach? 00:24:57.900 --> 00:24:59.600 What if you get what you want and lives aren't transformed? 00:25:03.880 --> 00:25:04.700 Is that what the Lord wants? 00:25:09.010 --> 00:25:11.590 Who cares if you get power and lose the world? 00:25:15.640 --> 00:25:21.160 I think it's why God's people have historically done better when we've always been sort of the outcast and persecuted people. 00:25:25.080 --> 00:25:31.980 God doesn't call us to be people of power in that worldly sense but people of servants strong in Him. 00:25:32.520 --> 00:25:39.860 And so you see this is Jonathan's way of not diving into the envy because his interest is more in what God's doing than what he desires 00:25:39.860 --> 00:25:46.940 to the point that he's even willing to surrender himself and his position to follow the Lord's leading and to really care about the people around 00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:47.540 him. 00:25:48.560 --> 00:25:51.780 And so Jonathan teaches us about biblical love. 00:25:51.820 --> 00:25:56.320 When you read about love in 1 Corinthians 13, you know that famous passage? 00:25:58.880 --> 00:26:01.280 In 1 Corinthians 13 and verse four, listen to this. 00:26:01.560 --> 00:26:09.280 It says this to us, "Love does not envy." It's 00:26:09.460 --> 00:26:16.600 impossible to love the way that God calls you to love and carry envy because envy in and of itself is to think very much 00:26:16.600 --> 00:26:20.220 about you and love and of itself is to think less of you and more of others. 00:26:24.300 --> 00:26:31.480 And this is where Jonathan's heart is in this passage, leading us to understand that 00:26:31.480 --> 00:26:38.020 in order to make a difference in this world it's this kind of heart that sees that piece for which God has called us to in Him. 00:26:39.760 --> 00:26:41.240 The question is do you love in this way? 00:26:43.690 --> 00:26:50.320 When things in this world frustrate you do you attach a person to that and have your hatred towards that person? 00:26:54.320 --> 00:26:56.440 It's worth checking, is there envy in your heart? 00:26:57.640 --> 00:27:04.880 Is there something that they have that you're really seeking after to the point that you've made them an enemy and you're maligning their image, them 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:05.840 bearing the image of God? 00:27:10.040 --> 00:27:12.800 Why did Jonathan do this? 00:27:14.080 --> 00:27:17.040 Well, his life ultimately is aligned in the Lord. 00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:25.480 And when you think about the story of Jonathan here's what he becomes for us, he becomes for us a picture of what it means to 00:27:25.520 --> 00:27:26.340 follow Jesus, right? 00:27:26.540 --> 00:27:33.640 I mean, you think about in the biblical scope of things where else have you seen one 00:27:33.640 --> 00:27:40.700 who sits on his throne, who humbles himself to the point of becoming a servant for the benefit of 00:27:40.700 --> 00:27:40.900 others? 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:43.960 That's Jesus, right? 00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:46.700 That's what Jesus was about. 00:27:47.180 --> 00:27:54.220 Sitting on His throne ruling, King of Kings, Lord of Lords humbles Himself as the servant of servants so that you might find life in Him and be blessed because 00:27:54.220 --> 00:27:54.580 of it. 00:27:55.760 --> 00:28:02.840 It's exactly what Paul says in Philippians 2:3, "Don't do this out of vainglory and this empty 00:28:02.840 --> 00:28:10.040 deceit, instead take on the image of Christ in your life who became the servant of servants to the point that He died on the cross 00:28:10.740 --> 00:28:17.840 for you and for me." In Jonathan comes for us a picture of 00:28:17.840 --> 00:28:18.080 Jesus. 00:28:18.360 --> 00:28:19.670 So what is the lesson we learn? 00:28:22.500 --> 00:28:26.840 The lesson that we learn is the freedom we find in surrender. 00:28:30.860 --> 00:28:33.760 We think about the idea of envy, envy is all me focused. 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:43.910 When we think about the idea of what Jonathan demonstrates here it's all Jesus focus, it's focus on the Lord and what He desires. 00:28:45.500 --> 00:28:51.240 And what Jonathan finds in this is the freedom of surrender and the freedom in surrender. 00:28:53.320 --> 00:28:57.120 When we talk about surrendering as a believer we're not talking about just simply giving up. 00:28:58.660 --> 00:29:00.740 So I surrender I'm done with this world, forget it. 00:29:01.940 --> 00:29:09.040 When we talk about surrender as a believer it's the say this, that in surrendering to God now you find a totally different purpose for what you 00:29:09.060 --> 00:29:09.780 can live in this world. 00:29:11.860 --> 00:29:17.480 It's not measured by the kingdoms of this earth but it's measured by a King that transcends this earth. 00:29:18.520 --> 00:29:25.600 It's about finding the purpose for which you exist not in about you but in Him and allowing your life to live for 00:29:25.600 --> 00:29:25.980 that reason. 00:29:28.180 --> 00:29:35.220 Jonathan knew the only way he would see God work is to get off 00:29:35.220 --> 00:29:35.940 his throne. 00:29:40.760 --> 00:29:48.480 That's of one the most powerful things to prevent you from walking with Jesus in this world in a way that brings peace and joy with 00:29:48.580 --> 00:29:55.140 Him and love and beauty in your relationship with others, just get off your throne. 00:29:58.550 --> 00:30:00.300 It's to see the destruction of envy. 00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:10.840 Envy is the quickest way to get so fixated on everything else that our eyes simply 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:18.160 stop asking the question, "But Lord, what do you desire from me?" But like Jonathan it's when 00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:26.020 we're willing to get off the throne and stop comparing ourselves to other people but simply ask Lord, "What is it that you desire?" That 00:30:26.020 --> 00:30:33.370 we're able to see the Lord work and move in our lives in ways honestly that we may not even have dreamed. 00:30:35.060 --> 00:30:38.660 I love what Paul says in Philippians 4:12 and I'm with these verses. 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:45.790 He says this, "I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. 00:30:47.040 --> 00:30:54.320 I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty 00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:56.360 or in want." And then he gives this famous verse. 00:30:57.320 --> 00:31:03.930 "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." I know sometimes... 00:31:04.660 --> 00:31:06.360 I think today the NFL starts, right? 00:31:07.220 --> 00:31:10.300 One day I'll start watching sports again but the NFL starts I think today. 00:31:10.820 --> 00:31:17.440 And in Philippians 4:13 we often see athletes though, they're getting in the end zone and they'll quote Philippians 4:13. 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:19.660 They hit a home run and quote Philippians 4:13. 00:31:19.940 --> 00:31:24.460 It's like you use Jesus like this magic wand and any anything great you do it's, "I can do all things. 00:31:24.620 --> 00:31:29.160 Christ makes us do all these wonderful things in life." And Paul is saying, "No, no, not really. 00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:34.600 That's not really what it's about." When you hit a home run, yeah, Jesus allows us to experience things like that. 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:38.160 But Philippians 4:13 isn't just about all these great things that happen in life. 00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:41.580 Paul is looking at his life going through difficult times and great things. 00:31:41.940 --> 00:31:48.960 And he's saying, "Regardless of what happens in life I've learned the secret to finding a sustaining power and all of it, and that is depending on the one 00:31:49.300 --> 00:31:50.580 who supplies what I need in those moments. 00:31:51.220 --> 00:31:58.400 I can go through any circumstance by the one who gives me strength." He's saying to us he's learned to measure his life 00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:05.580 not by the things in this world because they come and go but rather he's learned to measure his life by finding 00:32:05.620 --> 00:32:08.520 his joy for which it was created to be found in which is in Jesus. 00:32:10.280 --> 00:32:15.880 So he lays aside the envious things of this world and he gives his heart fully to God. 00:32:18.100 --> 00:32:25.200 Because I want to be honest and say for us as people and maybe as American citizens, 00:32:26.560 --> 00:32:33.620 the idea of keeping up with the Joneses has robbed God's people, God's church long enough from really 00:32:33.620 --> 00:32:37.580 finding a satisfaction and the ultimate joy for which we were created to in Jesus. 00:32:39.760 --> 00:32:47.380 And there were places in my heart I know it's got to be in our heart, not just me but we struggle with 00:32:47.380 --> 00:32:54.480 the idea of keeping our eyes fixed on Christ because we think sometimes in the mystery of this 00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:59.220 world that there's something out there that can fill me apart from Him. 00:33:01.720 --> 00:33:08.880 The solution to whether we know Jesus today or not is always to die to self that Christ may fill 00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:13.490 us up in Him and trust in the goodness of who He is that He can lead us forward.