TWO YEAR REVIEW
gtcotr/ws021903
Turn to 2 Samuel 23
When we consider that there is no new information our challenge is then to better acquaint ourselves with the old information and put it to good use. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
Two years ago on Wednesday evening, February 21, 2001, a word from God came to our church to prepare the leaders and families and get the wine skins ready for what God would do in our day and with our church.
That evening I preached from a passage in 2 Samuel 23, concerning the “Attitudes Of Mighty Men”. This is the story of those who served their King, David, in such a honorable and courageous way so as to be elevated to position and responsibility in the legion of honor. These men cared for their King’s well being and led the armies of Israel into battle.
During King David’s reign, he established this Legion Of Honor which consisted of 30 top positions in his army. Within this group of 30 mighty men there were basically 3 levels of attainment. To be one of the 30 meant that a person was captain over hundreds or thousands of soldiers. There were also 3 positions available for those who excelled above their peers for leaders who were over a group of captains. These 3 positions were higher in rank but still a part of the 30 man legion of honor. From here there was only one more promotion one could attain within the group, that was to be accepted into The Three Mighty Men Of The King.
This highest promotion into the top three mighty men serving the King meant that these had proved themselves to be loyal, trustworthy, courageous and capable soldiers, committed to the cause and fully given to their King.
Even though we may not attain to this high position in life, it behooves us to respect these men and learn from their examples. Their:
Mindset
Attitude
Test
Friends & Followers
Life
Choices
Demands
In review of the last two years, lets go back over some of the messages God has given us to prepare us for His use.
I. 2 Samuel 23
8 ¶ These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:
10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
A. The Mindset Of A Mighty Warrior
1. The Three Mighty Men Of David
a. Adino the Ezenite, Chief among the captains
1. spear
2. against 800 he slew
3. at one time
4. He fought against ‘INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS’
b. Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite
1. sword
2. the men of Israel were gone away (alone and nobody would know)
3. his hand clave to the sword
4. He fought in the face of ‘INDEFINABLE FATIGUE’
c. Shammah son of Agee the Harahite
1. stood the ground
2. defended the pea patch
3. against a unified troop gathered against him
4. He fought in spite of ‘INSIGNIFICANT REWARD’
Note: Spear - Long Distance Enemies - Prayer
Sword - Close Quarters Enemies - The Word (Confession)
Stand - Enemies Within - Meditation (Cast/Captive)
This is the mindset of a mighty warrior of the King! … now ‘attitude’
2 Samuel 23
13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.
17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
B. The Attitude Of A Mighty Warrior
1. vs. 13-15 close enough to know the longings of their King
2. v. 16 strong and courageous enough to brake through the enemy’s lines for their King
3. vs. 16-17 committed enough to not let the pouring out of their life affect their continued service to their King
a. it was a rebuke
b. it was not a devaluing of their lives but a real valuing
Note: You won’t serve Jesus in this world without serving someone else
Note: A true test of leadership is servanthood ... but …
The true test of a servant is how one feels and acts when they are treated like one.
C. The Test Of A Mighty Warrior
1. The Mountain top test
2. The Valley Test
3. The Test of waiting
4. The Test of Finished
D. The Friends & Followers Of A Mighty Warrior
1. The Let’s Go Over Crowd
2. The Let’s Take Over Crowd
3. The I’ve Been Over Crowd & Don’t Have The Energy To Go Now
4. The It’s Over Crowd
E. The Life Of A Mighty Warrior
1. The Circle of Life (you live and die)
2. The Cycle of Life (good things & bad things will happen)
3. The Secret of Life (Giving ... Sowing & Reaping)
note: While People are waiting on a move of God ... God is waiting on a move of people!
note: A move of God is not a great church service or prayer meeting ... it’s a great life and we will have to wait to see if we are actually having a real move of God.
F. The Choices Of A Mighty Warrior
1. You can go over
2. You can go under
3. You can just go on ... but that’s often just a choice to go under later
G. The Demands Of A Mighty Warrior
1. Obedience: To do what someone else tells you to do.
a. we obey people we trust
b. we obey those we agree with
c. we often obey those we fear
d. we also find it easy to obey those we like
f. basically we often obey those we want to and those we have to
2. Submission: To yield your strength and/or decision to another
a. submission is an act beyond obedience
b. while we may obey those we agree with and trust, submission demands that we obey those we disagree with, do not fully trust, like or are weaker than us so that we do not even fear disobeying them.
c. submission does not even begin until we are asked to do something we do not want to do.
3. Loyalty: Demonstrated commitment to something outside yourself.
a. how you act in private & public when you must submit
b. while we obey a leader we agree with, it takes submission to obey a leader we disagree with however, it takes loyalty not to complain about it!
c. Loyalty is how you act about doing something you don’t want to do
I trust we are rubbing the oil of God’s Word & Spirit into our wine skins. Let us get our families ready for God’s greatest.
