Committed to A Cause Sun. AM 7-21-96

2 Samuel 21 and 1 Samuel chapter 17.

1 Samuel 17 · chapter mention

We have a wonderful Bible, and if we'll study it, God will show us some different things.

Let me show you something today.

Maybe it's a story, if you would, a portion of the Bible that you're very, very familiar with, but maybe just a couple of thoughts today that you hadn't seen before, or maybe had seen before, but haven't taken the time to consider.

In 2 Samuel 21, look at if you would at verse 15.

Verse 15 says that the Philistines had yet war again with Israel.

Now David goes down, he's a little older now, and he waxes faint in verse 15, if you'll read it.

And there's a man that stands up against him in verse 16.

The Bible says, and Ishbi Benab, which was of the sons of the who?

The giant.

He uh remember that David was the one who killed Goliath, and Ishbi Benim, one of his sons, stands up, and he's planning on killing David.

If you know the story in verse 17, Abishai stands up forth, and Abishai goes out and kills Ishbib, which was one of the sons of the giant.

Verse 18.

And it came to pass after this that there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob.

Now there's another man that stands up here, his name is Sibichai, and he stands up and he kills a man named Saph or Safe, S-A-P-H, which was also one of the sons of the giant.

If you understand what goes on here now, there's two members of the family that they were giants themselves that have been killed in this situation.

Verse 19, if you read that very carefully, you'll see that there's another family member that's a giant there.

And 1 Chronicles 20 tells you his name.

His name is Lemai, uh or Lomni.

And anyways, he dies also.

He's another one, if you would, the family members, another giant.

Look if you would in verse 20, stay with me.

And there was yet a battle in Gath, and there was a man of great stature that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number.

And he was also born to the giant.

And when he defied Israel, Jonathan, the son of Shimei, the brother of David, slew him.

So you've got four members of the family here that were all giants, that were all part of Goliath's family.

And I want you to see verse number 22.

Verse 22.

These, how many?

Four were born to the giant in Gath and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

I want you to remember that and look back in 1 Samuel chapter 17.

1 Samuel 17 · chapter mention

You like to study your Bible, don't you?

Amen.

1 Samuel 17.

Remember there were four that God, through David's household, took care of later.

1 Samuel 17.

1 Samuel 17.

Now, you, uh, if you've been in church for a while, no doubt have heard the story of David and Goliath.

And before you shut it off, it's a great story, amen.

It's a great concept, but there's a couple things in here I want you to see very quickly.

1 Samuel 17.

How many uh when you were young children heard about David and Goliath?

How many never no, don't answer that.

Now, maybe you've not heard about David and Goliath yet, but chances are, even if you weren't in church when you were young, somewhere along the way, you've heard about David and Goliath.

We're not going to read the whole thing.

Let me show you just a few things.

Look at verse 10.

Verse 10.

And the Philistines said, This is Goliath, who is a very tall man.

He's extremely large.

He's very intimidating.

And the Philistines said, I defy the armies of Israel this day.

Give me a man that we may fight together.

When Saul and all of Israel heard the words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly what?

Afraid.

I want you to note in your mind, if you look in verse 10, that he defied the armies of Israel that day.

Look if you would in verse 16, please.

Verse 16, stay with me.

And the Philistine, that's Goliath again, drew near morning and evening, and presented himself how long?

Hey, 40 days, almost a month and a half or so.

He comes out and he continually says, you know, give me a man, give me somebody to fight.

I defy to defy the armies of Israel this day.

Forty days he comes out in the morning and in the evening, if you would, eighty times he must have come out.

He presents himself, and everybody's afraid.

Look if you would at verse 21.

Verse 21.

For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army, and David left his carriage.

Here David comes down in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army and came and saluted his brethren.

And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words.

And look at it, and David heard them.

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore, what?

Say it, afraid.

Look at verse 26.

And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine and taketh away the reproach from Israel?

You see, David looks at that thing and says, You know what?

That guy down there is challenging us.

He's challenging the armies of Israel, and it's reproached us, because nobody will go down and fight him.

For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the who?

Talk to me.

The living God.

You see, David ties in the army here with God.

And look what happens, his brother, verse 28.

And Eliab, the eldest brother, when he spake unto the men, uh, and Eliab's anger was kindled.

He heard when he spake unto the men, and Eliab's anger was kindled.

Against David, and he said, Why cameest thou hither?

And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?

That's a little bit of a put-down.

I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart, for thou art come down that thou might see the battle.

And David answers and said, Look what he said.

And David said, What have I now done?

And then would you read the next question with me?

Ready?

Begin.

Is there not a cause?

You know what David said?

Isn't there a cause?

What are y'all doing standing up around here?

And that Philistine's down there, and he's making fun of the armies of the living God, and you're not doing anything about it.

Isn't there a cause here?

Isn't there a purpose?

Verse 33.

The word gets back to the king, and Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him.

For thou art but a what?

Say it, a youth.

So here's the king, the leadership said, You're not able, David.

And he, a man of war from his youth, and David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep.

There came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, and I went after him and smote him and delivered it out of his mouth.

And when he arose against me, I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him.

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing that he defied the armies of the living God.

You see what David sees here, brethren, is he doesn't see just one man challenging uh uh another man to come out.

He says, he sees this one man down there uh holding and shaking his fist, not only at the armies, but at the living God.

Look what he says in verse 20 uh sorry, verse 37.

David said, moreover, the Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine.

That's confidence in what God's able to do in his life, amen.

Because David knew that David had been delivered by God with the lion and the bear.

He said, Listen, God can do the same thing in this situation.

Look at verse 40, stay with me.

Verse 40, and he took his staff in his hand and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag, which he had, even in a script, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

The Philistines comes out in verse 40 took a look at it.

And when the Philistines looked about, he's looking around out there, this big, ugly dude, huge, he looks around and he sees David.

He disdained him, for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

You know what he's looking at?

He's looking at this little guy, he's a young lad, and he's thinking, What?

This is the best they can do?

They sent this guy out against me?

And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog that thou comest to me with stave?

A stave is just a stick, a staff, if you would.

And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

Shouldn't have done that, amen.

Verse 45.

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield.

But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Imrael.

And then he says, This, whom thou hast defiled.

Do you know what he says?

Goliath, not only have you attacked the armies of Israel and said it to us, but you said it and you've attacked God, and I'm coming as God's ambassador to stand and fight with his power today.

Verse 46.

This day will the Lord deliver me into my hand, thee into mine hand.

And I will smite thee and take thy head from thee, and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day and to the fowls of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, and all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Please look up here.

This is a much bigger thing to David, than it's just one man against the other.

He's looking down and saying, The Israelites are losing their faith in God.

They're unwilling to go forward.

This guy is standing up and provoking and even talking about our God in that way, and I'm going to stand before him, and I'm going to kill him, and I'm going to cut off his head, and God's going to get the glory.

Verse 47.

And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth, not with sword and spear.

For the battle is the who?

Talk to me.

The Lord's.

And he will give you into our hands.

It came to pass when the Philistine arose.

Huh.

Must have not been too challenged by David's words, he gets up and he came and he drew nigh to meet David.

Look what David does.

That David did what?

Hastened and ran not away from the army of the Philistine, but right towards him, toward the army to meet the Philistine.

David put his hand in the bag and took thence a stone and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth.

If you know the rest of the story, David runs over and he doesn't even have a sword.

He grabs the sword of Goliath and chops his head off and stands on the body of Goliath with the head held up, and all the armies of Israel rushes out, and they destroy the Philistines that day.

Now, I want you to look back in verse number 40.

Verse 40.

And he took his staff in his hand.

That staff he used it a lot of different ways because he was a shepherd.

He used it to help sheep out.

I'm sure he used it for a number of different purposes, and it was also somewhat of a weapon.

But look what he does.

He chooses him five smooth stones out of the brook.

Please look up here.

David has already been told by his brother, what are you doing out here?

Why don't you go back and watch those few sheep that you have back there?

I know you're out here just curious and a little naughty.

He's already gone before the leader of Israel, if you would.

And the leader says, You're a youth.

You're a young, you can't go out there.

You don't even look like a soldier.

What are you talking about?

But when David goes to the brook, please look up here.

He goes down the brook and he gets down and he's going to get him some ammunition.

And he looks down and picks up a rock.

It's nice and smooth, the right size.

And he puts it in his little bag.

Looks around again.

Picks up another rock.

Looks at it.

Yep, that'll do.

And puts it in his bag.

Picks up a third rock.

Yep, that one'll do.

Puts it in his bag.

Hey, is there not a cause?

And by the way, may I say this?

David's committed to the cause.

David believes in the cause.

David's willing to risk his life for the cause.

Picks up the fourth stone.

Looks at it.

Puts it in his bag.

I wonder what he's doing.

If you know anything about David in the Psalms, it wouldn't surprise me if he's saying, God, you can take care of this whole thing, Lord, help me now.

Give me the right stones here, Lord.

Let me have your favor and your grace today.

And he puts the fifth stone in the bag.

Ties up his little bag and puts his little sling in there.

I really, honestly, don't believe that he thought it was going to take five stones for Goliath.

I know it's been said, but I wonder if David speculated and heard that he knew of at least four other giants that might not like the fact that he was going to kill Goliath.

You remember those four?

Safe and Ishbal Benab and Lumni, and then just one that's referred to as the guy that's got too many fingers and too many toes.

But when David goes down that stream, please look down here, please look up here.

When he picks up those stones, please look up here, he's dedicated to the cause.

He's committed to the cause.

He's also got the experience that God can deliver him.

And he's not going to go just part of the way, please look up here.

If he was just going to plan on killing Goliath, he would have just picked up, evidently, one stone.

He picked up four other ones because he was committed to the cause.

Please look up here.

In the utmost, and he was not going to stop until he'd finished the cause all the way.

Please look up here.

I wonder today, and I've thought about this for a while.

I wonder if we were to look in our own bags today, how many stones we'd find.

Brother Charlie, where are you at?

Run back and turn the air just up just a pinch because we're getting air but no air conditioning.

And if you're cold in here, I'm hot, so stay with me, amen.

Thanks, Charlie.

Have you ever looked at that and said, you know what?

Uh I wonder, uh, I wonder how many stones I would have put in the bag that day.

In fact, I wonder how many stones are in my bag right now.

Because please look up here.

When he picked up those stones, in his mind, his attitude was, I have a plan.

And it goes much beyond just what other people are telling me.

My family is telling me, my brother's telling me you can't do it.

The leader is telling me you can't do it.

It just seems like everything's against me, but I'm looking at these stones and I'm saying, hey, God took care of that lion and God took care of that bear, and this man is defying Israel and defying God himself.

And if God's chosen me to do it, I'm going to be committed to this thing all the way.

I'm not going to go halfway.

I'm not going to just play around with this thing.

I'm putting five stones and bring on the brothers.

If you were to look in your bag today, would the evidence in your bag be that you've listened to your family members saying you can't do anything for God?

Now maybe you've got a supportive family.

But I'll guarantee you, somewhere along the way, you will be discouraged by somebody who says, I don't know if you could do that.

I wonder if you looked in your own bag today and I looked in mine.

I wonder if we looked in our bag and what we would see if we just looked at ourselves.

If David just would have looked at himself, he was ready?

As a youth.

He had never been trained really in warfare, per se.

I mean, if he would have looked at it from his own confidence standpoint, and without God, he would have said, What in the world am I doing picking up five?

I better go back to the sheep.

When he got out there to face the Philistine, first thing the Philistine said was, What am I, dog?

What are you doing out here, boy?

And David said, You don't understand.

I'm not out here fighting my own battle.

The Lord came to fight with me.

And really, I'm not out here trusting in my own ability, but I believe God is able, just like he took care of the lion, just like he took care of the bear, he'll take care of you.

You defied God, and I'm out here because you're gonna die this day, and all of Israel and all the earth is gonna know that you are God, and God is gonna take care of you, and Goliath, you're not gonna defile my God.

Let me ask you a question.

Is there not a cause?

You say, What's the cause?

The cause that we face today may not be Goliath, but please look up here.

The cause that we face today is the cause of getting the gospel to people of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The cause is to get the gospel to seat out of the barn.

The cause is to send missionaries out who will get the gospel out.

The cause is to go out and preach and teach God's word so people get saved because there's still a hell.

The cause is that we give some money to be able to have these lights on and we're able to give the gospel out and run those buses today and bring those bus kids in and have the Spanish ministry and have our nursing homes go and our convalescent and our prison ministries and all the rest of the things we do.

You probably, there's a cause.

I'll ask you a question today.

Listen, please.

How committed are you to the cause?

You're in church, praise the Lord.

Glory God, hallelujah.

And that's a good start, that's a good commitment.

But honestly, please look up here.

How committed are you to the cause?

You say, how will I know?

Look at your bag.

Pull the bag open.

What are you planning on doing?

I don't get it.

When David went to the brook, he had a plan.

It wasn't just Goliath.

His plan went far past that.

He had something he was going to do with his life.

And he wasn't going to stop just because a brother said you couldn't do it, and just because a king said you couldn't do it, and just because he was a little boy, he had God on his side.

I'm asking you a question today, please.

What's your vision?

What's your plan?

What are you preparing for?

You don't have to show your bag to someone else and say, look, look what's in my bag.

I want you to see it.

It doesn't matter what someone else sees.

It's between you and God.

If we were to open up our, here I am.

I'm coming up on uh 42 years of age.

That's a young man, amen.

I've been saved since 1979.

And every once in a while, for all of us, where you've been saved a year or five years or 15 years or 20 years, every once in a while it's good to say, you know what?

What's in my bag?

What am I planning on doing?

How much faith do I have that God can give and use me?

Or am I going to listen to those that are around me?

Am I going to listen to some family members that uh that may not even be saved and aren't Christians, and I'm not putting your family down.

But when you begin to do something for Christ that's unorthodox, that doesn't make faith, sooner or later a family member is going to say, What are you doing with your life?

Doesn't make any sense.

I mean, maybe a leader in your life.

In this case, it was Saul who said, You're just a youth.

You're not a man of worth, you've never been trained.

What can you do?

David didn't let any of that affect him.

Because he was doing it.

Please look up here.

As unto the Lord, and knew what God could do with him because he knew God.

Let me ask you a question.

Do you really believe in the cause of Christ?

Really?

I say, preacher, I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe in Christ.

No, I didn't.

I said, did you believe in his cause?

How many in here believe in Christ?

Come on, honestly.

Absolutely.

And if you don't, today's a perfect day to receive Christ as Savior.

But it goes beyond just believing in Christ.

We must believe in his cause.

In his purpose.

What's that?

To get the word of God out, to propagate the gospel, to tell others that they can be saved.

His whole reason for coming was to send truth forth in the world.

And he's left and he said, now you are ambassadors in my stead.

Instead of me being there, you're there, and you're to take the gospel out.

And you're the cause of the gospel to go out, and you're to help it go out, and you're to be a vehicle, and you're to finance it, and you're to you're to be a part of it.

Amen.

I mean, we don't just come to church and say, Well, I come so I don't feel guilty.

Well, there's got to be more than that sooner or later.

There has to be a cause, there has to be a purpose, there has to be a reason.

How would I know how to look in my bag to see if there's anything else in there?

Well, what are you planning on doing for God?

What what do you mean plan on I'm planning on I'm planning on uh praying and reading his Bible and coming to the church and and uh that's good.

And I and I and I and I give and I want to be a part of that because I know it does things to buy tracks and run buses and to get missionaries out.

But what what do you think God has planned for you?

I think of a lot of what God has planned on us for.

Please look up here.

It depends on how willing we are to look in that stream and say, you know what?

God can do it through me.

Let's see, there's one over there.

You know what?

I believe God can use me.

I don't care what my brother says.

I believe God can use me.

I don't care what that leader and that influence in my life says.

God can use me.

He took care of me with that lion and that bear.

And I'm not doing, I don't want any rewards out of this thing.

I don't want to be well known or anything like that.

That dumb Philistine's down there, and I'm mad at him, and I'm going to take care of him.

And if his brothers come out, I'm going to take care of them too through God's help.

Well, I can't witness to anybody.

How do you know you can't?

I can never run a bus route.

I could never be a leader in a church.

I could never teach a Sunday school class.

Why not?

Well, I'd have to give some things up.

That's right.

You'd have to give up a little time on Saturday night or during the week.

We'd have to give a little more time to God.

We'd have to get a little more focus.

We might have to give up some of our own plans.

Did you hear me?

Say, preacher, this is this is certainly an unusual message for a Sunday morning.

It's the right message.

You say, I'm already doing something for God.

Good.

Praise the Lord.

And many of you are.

I've already got a plan.

I've already got the rocks in my bag.

I already got something going on.

Good.

But don't leave the rocks in the bag.

Make sure while you're running along and you're facing that first enemy, pull one out and put it in the sling and get it ready to go.

I'm talking about preparing.

To do something.

Faith without works is what?

It's dead.

Faith without some actions.

If he just would have gone down and put his hands in the water and picked out the stones and just said, Well, I believe God can do it and put them in his bag and said, No, he's too big, I'm going the other way.

That action of faith down there at the brook would have meant nothing.

There was no works to follow it.

I'm going to say something.

It's almost going to sound unkind, but it's not meant to be.

And it might offend somebody.

I'm not trying to offend anybody here because I don't know what your plans are.

There's a lot of Christians talking.

But there's less Christians doing.

I'm going to do this.

I'm planning on doing this.

I'm going to do this.

Oh, that's good.

Work your plan.

Do the work.

Man, I tell you what, if God wants you in the ministry, get in the ministry.

If God wants you to be a Sunday school teacher, be a Sunday school teacher.

If God wants you to sing in the choir, don't say I'm going to do it someday.

Jump in.

Amen.

What say, preacher?

You know, I just came to church.

Man, I just come to church to hear a message, and here you are challenging me, and I'm starting to feel bad.

I'm not trying to make you feel bad.

I'm trying to say God's got a purpose and a plan for your life, and life goes on and on and on and on and on.

And you don't want to get before God and have an empty bag unless it used to contain some rocks and you slung them all.

What'd you just say?

I said you don't want to go before God with an empty bag unless there used to be some rocks in there, and during this life you used them up.

You'd hate to go before God with a brand new script bag that never had been used.

Especially after all the promises of God.

Brother Fisher, let me ask you something.

Are you going through a midlife crisis or something?

Is that why you're you know you're coming across this way?

No.

No?

But I know this: we're supposed to redeem the time.

And time marches on in my life and in your life.

Well, I have career goals, and I'm for career goals, but along the way, make sure you're serving God.

Let me show you.

Look at 2 Samuel 7.

You doing okay this morning?

You're kind of quiet.

I hope that means you're listening.

2 Samuel 7.

And let me show you one other story.

Won't take long.

2 Samuel 7 in 1 Chronicles 22.

Well, Brother Fisher, I put some stones in my bag, but man, I went out there the first time and I tried to sling that stone and it just didn't work.

Don't give up yet.

It didn't work for most of us.

The first time, second time, third time.

2 Samuel chapter 7 and 1 Chronicles 22.

2 Samuel 7 · chapter mention

Watch this.

You see, David was focused on the cause and was committed and had a plan.

Look at 2 Samuel 7.

Another section, if you would, of David's life is recorded.

Verse 1.

And it came to pass when the king said in this house, the Lord had given him rest around about all his enemies.

The king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of Cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

What David's going to plan to do here is he's going to plan to build a temple, if you would, a house for God, but God wouldn't let him do it, because he was a bloody man, if you would.

He had been an army soldier, he had been a general.

Now look at 1 Chronicles 22.

That didn't stop David from getting involved.

1 Chronicles 22.

David had a vision.

He had something he was going to do from God.

It was a cause.

He was committed to it.

1 Chronicles 22.

And look, if you would, at verse 3.

David's now beginning to prepare for the house of the Lord in verse 1.

Verse 3.

And David prepared iron.

Would you underline the next two words and say him?

Ready?

Say them.

In abundance.

Just not a few things.

He prepared in abundance for the nails, for the doors of the gates, for the joinings and brass.

In what?

Say it?

Abundance.

Without weight.

He was doing it by faith.

He was acting upon faith.

And cedar trees, verse 4 of 1 Chronicles 22.

And cedar trees, what?

Say it?

In abundance.

Come on, everybody say it in what?

Abundance.

In abundance.

That way I know you're right where we're supposed to be.

For the Zidonians.

Verse 5.

And David said, 1 Chronicles 22.

Verse 5.

And David said, Solomon, my son, is young and tender.

And the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent of fame, of glory throughout all countries.

I will therefore now make preparation for it.

So David prepared how?

Say it, abundantly.

David wasn't just a one-rock guy.

David wanted to do the job all the way through before his death.

He calls for Solomon.

He gets the workers ready.

He gets it all ready to go.

Look at verse 14.

Verse 14.

Now, behold, what's the next three words?

In my trouble.

What we do is even in our trouble we work for God.

Behold, in my trouble I prepared for the house of the Lord.

And a hundred thousand talents of gold, a hundred thousand talents of silver, and of brass and iron without weight, for it is them in what?

Say it, abundance.

Timber also and stone have I prepared that thou mayest add there to.

Moreover, there are workmen with thee, say it, in abundance.

Hewers workers of stone and timber and all manner of cunning men for every manner of work.

Gold and silver and brass and iron.

There is no number.

Arise therefore and be doing.

And the Lord be with thee.

You know what David was doing?

Please look up here.

He was preparing for another act of faith, a work that God had given him to do, a temple, even though he wasn't going to get to build it.

He was going down and he was getting ready to go in abundance.

Please.

Look.

When he looked at Goliath, he didn't just chose one rock, he prepared abundantly.

He says, I'm going to do more than just what they got planned on.

They don't even think I can take care of that first one.

They don't know my God.

Amen.

They don't know what God's done for me.

They don't know about the lion.

They don't know about the bear.

That's all right.

I'm not going to listen to them.

God, I know what you can do.

When David began to prepare for this temple, he prepared, the Bible says, in abundance, in abundance, in abundance, abundantly.

And the Bible says that even in his trouble, he prepared.

One last scripture I'd like you to look at according to that.

Look at 1 Chronicles 29, just a few chapters over.

And the Old Testament, brethren, is for our ensemble.

1 Chronicles chapter 29.

1 Chronicles 29 · chapter mention

You say, it's too late.

I've already blown and I can't do it.

It's never too late with God.

Grace always abounds.

He's always got a way.

But I tried, preacher, and I failed.

Well, get up and try again.

Amen.

1 Chronicles 29, look at verse 1.

Furthermore, David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, who alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender.

The work is great.

And then look what he says.

The palace is not for man, but for the Lord God.

Now I have prepared, say it, with all thy might, with all my might, for the house of my God.

Brethren, you know what David's example to us is?

He didn't do it just halfway.

He didn't do it just to please people.

He did it to please God.

He went all the way.

Let me ask you a question again.

And I risk something here this morning, and I know I do.

And please, I know the the air, we've got it turned down, it's not working right or whatever, but it's it's comfortable in here.

I risk something today.

If there are people in here today that are just looking to stay kind of comfortable, like, you know, don't challenge me that way.

Don't challenge me to do something.

Don't challenge me that I may not be doing enough.

Who are you to challenge me?

You know what?

I'm nobody.

I'm like you are.

I'm just part of the flock.

I'm just a servant saved by grace.

But as I read this Bible, please look up here.

This Bible challenges us.

This Bible challenges us to do something with our lives.

This Bible challenges to not look at what someone else says about us and not look at who we are and what we are, whether we be ruddy and small and not very pleasant to look upon and not have any training.

This Bible tells us to look at ourselves in conjunction with God and get a hold of that scripture that says I can do all things through Christ.

Hey, you want to be a Sunday school teacher?

God can help you.

I'm not a good communicator.

I can't stand up before and teach you.

Yes, you can.

I'm not a good witness.

I can't get the seed out of the barn.

I can't give out the gospel.

Yes, you can.

I don't have any money.

Yes, you do.

And I'm not trying to get your money.

But God's got it set up to where anybody who makes any money has a right to give a portion.

It's called a tithe.

Amen.

But I don't, you can't get my money.

I don't want your money.

It's not for me.

You do it as under the Lord.

Well, anytime you mention money, it gets quiet.

I'm not trying to, you say, ah, you're just like the television preachers.

Hey, this house is for the Lord, not for man.

This work is for God, not for me.

David did not go down there and kill Goliath for himself.

He killed Goliath because Goliath was standing up against God, and God said to David, you go down and take care of him, and I'll be with you.

If you're in here today and you say, you know, I'm just kind of visiting your church, and I was kind of looking for a church where, you know, you'd come and you'd kind of feel good about yourself.

Well, I feel good about myself.

Don't you?

I just know that God wants me to do something else.

And God wants me to do more.

How about you?

May I say something to you?

We're not a church that is going to get comfortable in what we have done.

We're not a church that said, you ought to be around here four years ago and seen what we've done.

You ought to have been around here three years ago and two years ago.

Man, you ought to see what God did through us last year.

We're a church that says, wait a minute, God's not done with us yet.

God's got more for us to do.

We've got a vision that God's going to use us more.

And it's not so much to have a name and be known or anything like that.

We don't care about that.

We just want to be pleasing in God's sight.

Why?

Is there not a cause?

Isn't there a reason?

Isn't there a purpose?

The Bible says when one sinner comes to repentant, there's joy in heaven.

Isn't there a reason to get the gospel to one more?

I believe God brings people to our church and draws them to our church who do not want to just sit on the sidelines.

They want to be in the battle.

And I'm talking to people in our church right now, you in here, you've been in our church many years and you've been used by God.

But every once in a while, brother, it's good to look in our bag and say, what are what are my plans?

What's in there?

What does God want me to do?

You know, honestly, preacher, I used to have some plans, but some people have convinced me that I can't.

Well, then you're listening to the wrong people.

Well, well, preacher, I used to have some plans, but you know what?

There were some influential people in my life that I looked up to, and they said, you just you just can't do it.

Well, may I say that you ought to look up to God and ask him if you can do it.

Well, I used to have something planned, preacher, and I tried a few times and I attempted, but you know what?

I failed and I failed and I failed and I failed.

And I've really lost my confidence.

Well, please look up here.

You don't have to have confidence in yourself.

All you gotta realize is the battle is God's.

Well, I I'm busy, preacher, with with a lot of my own plans.

Well, good.

Are they God's plans?

As long as they're God's plans, then you're doing right.

Well, okay, then I got a question.

Listen, look to your left and look to your right and make sure your friend isn't falling asleep.

And if they are, take a rock out of your bag and waste one.

I'm just kidding.

Look up here, please.

How do I do this, preacher?

You said I'm supposed to look in the bag.

Now, come on.

You're looking at your hand, but there's no bag there.

I'm not that dumb.

Well, here's the way you do it, and this is the practical side.

The only way we can know what God has planned for us, really, is to, and this is going to be so simple, is to know God.

Stay with me now.

If I don't know God, how can I know what He has planned for me?

I mean, I can look on the television and somebody says, and God's planning on using you, and he'll point your finger right at you and say, Oh, there it is, God speaking.

And God wants you to go out and get that check and send it to our ministry in the mail.

Okay, that's God speaking.

You know what would be better than listening to that guy on the television?

Getting to know the God of this Bible.

When we know someone, we communicate with them.

Stand up, Bill, real quick.

I know Bill.

I know Bill pretty well.

But if I don't know Bill, I can't listen to him and I can't understand him.

So the very fact that I know Bill gives me the opportunity, please look up here and turn sideways, Bill, gives me the opportunity to communicate with him.

That means this.

I talk with him and he talks with me.

Amen?

I talk with him and then I listen, please, and I understand what he's saying.

Let me see it.

Now, wait a minute.

In order for me to talk with God and listen and understand, I've got to know him.

Well, how do I get to know him?

There's only one way.

It's not my pew, I'll stand on it.

There's only one way.

It's to get to know his book.

Well, you know, you know, wait a minute.

It just came into my mind that God is this way.

You better bounce it off the book.

There's many voices in the world, and none of them without signification.

Somebody that's just going around and not knowing the book, and well, God said this and God said that, and God told me to do this.

You better get the book.

Because there's a lot of imaginations and a lot of things that come up in our mind that aren't Bible.

Come on, amen.

You Christians know what I'm talking about.

I mean, there's thoughts that come through all the mind.

Go do this, go do that.

And boy, when we know the book, the Holy Spirit says, wait a minute, what are you doing that for?

The Bible says to know God is to know his word and to understand who the Holy Spirit is, to communicate and to listen.

But the only way I can know his word is to spend time in it.

So, okay, preacher, how am I supposed to know what's in my bag and what God wants me to do with it?

It starts this way: spending time in God's Word.

Getting to know the God of this Bible.

Begin to have a prayer life and communicate with Him.

Get to know the Holy Spirit of God.

And don't just go off with some feeling or some imagination or somebody says, Well, you know what?

What if you have a dream?

You better bounce the dream off the book.

Because dreams can take us the wrong way.

Amen, amen, amen.

Preacher, let me ask you a question.

Why do sometimes you stand up and say you're invited back to Sunday night church?

Well, because on Sunday night we again study God's Word.

And to know God is to understand and to be able to listen to Him.

And the more we know Him and listen and understand, the more we can know His will.

And the more we know His will, then the more we know what to do with those rocks in our bag.

And how He can use us.

I think we would all be surprised if somebody says, Oh man, our nation is going through revival.

I think we'd be surprised on how many Christians don't know God's word.

And I'm not saying you have to know it verbatim and I mean memorize every word, but brethren, how much time are we spending studying it and reading it?

How much time are we spending talking to God and listening to Him?

Well, uh it's kind of late for that.

Is it late?

Well, when I was 25, I I probably would have prepared a different way.

Doesn't matter if you're 65.

God can still show you where to go to the stream to pick up some rocks and get ready to do something for him.

Well, well, Brother Fisher, it sounds like I have to do something big.

No.

No, you just have to do what God wants you to do.

But what do you plan on doing?

Hey, husband and wife, are you planning on doing something for God together?

I I think I can say this officially now.

My wife is with child again.

Where yeah, Patty, you here somewhere?

There's my wife.

Oh, so embarrassed.

You know, look at her clothes, you know.

Now my wife is with child again.

And just so all the rumors are done, and and and oh, Doug, why'd you say that?

Well, because I'm happy.

It is called uh, with being with child pregnant, it is called a blessing of God.

And by the way, we're not trying to outdo anybody.

We decided a long time ago that's not an area to be in competition with anybody in.

If you don't have any, or if you have ten, that's fine.

That's between you and God.

And we're not looking at you and trying to keep up with the Joneses, amen.

Any Joneses in here?

Sorry.

And you shouldn't be looking at us and saying, well.

This is our uh Lord willing, will be our eighth child that we have got to see here.

We got a couple that we haven't got to see yet.

But we're not done as far as doing something for God.

You say, what?

That means you're gonna have more uh no, I'm saying.

Relax, Patty, relax, relax.

Breathe deeply.

I gotta remember all that Laman stuff again.

Let's see.

Breathe, breathe.

Okay, I got my part.

Everything's ready to go.

But even if you get a physical infirmity or get disease or something that's seemingly life-threatening, David said in his trouble he prepared.

And he still had a plan to do something for God.

Ask you again.

Do you have a plan?

Specifically, have you thought about what it is?

What are you going to do between now and Christmas?

For some, it may be, well, I really start need to start preparing.

You know, uh, and I'm not trying to push this and I'm watching your time, I'm gonna let you go.

But you know, we have an institute to learn the Word of God.

It starts up in just a few weeks, and you say, I knew there was a hook.

No, it's just an opportunity, it's not a hook.

We meet Mondays and Tuesdays.

Brother Wade, stand up real quick.

This is Jeff Wade.

You can see him, he's got a catalog.

Look at it, you'll you'll recognize him tall, glasses, balding from the back, balding from the front, and very ugly from the front.

I mean, you mean it takes one to know what I know.

But but if you're interested, you say I could I could buy ones to, what do you mean, studying the Bible at night?

Yeah, take a class.

Get to know God better.

Well, that that means I'd have to sacrifice, you know, a little bit.

Yeah.

Well, I couldn't do that.

Well, we have it by tape, too.

Does that take away all the excuses?

The opportunity's there.

My wife and I are just a few months away from a new beginning in our life because each child has a new beginning.

And we're excited about it, aren't we?

Yeah, we are.

Now, do me a favor.

I I need to say this.

Don't go rushing up to her and say, Oh, congratulations, I'm gonna be praying for you.

I know that's what you want to do and all that, but that makes her feel like, oh, everybody knows.

Certain things you can't hide, honey.

How old are they?

How many do they have?

We're not looking at the culture and figuring out how many we're supposed to have, and we're not looking at our finances and figuring out how many we can afford.

We're just trying to do what God wants us to do.

But it's in no way, shape, or form what God wants you to do.

That's between you and God.

May I say to you, as a pastor, as one of the leaders of our church, recently I've been down the stream picking up some stones.

You need to know that.

Huh?

Yeah, I I've been down on the stream with God, and I've been looking for some stones, and I found a few.

Stuck them in the bag.

Say what do you mean?

Planning.

I think God's got something yet for us to do.

Not gonna worry about what anybody says.

Yeah, look what he'd done for us in the past.

He can take care of us there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And uh I think as church members, you need to know that.

Oh, what does that mean?

You're gonna put the pressure on?

Oh no, no.

No, I'm not planning on putting any pressure on anybody.

But I am planning on this church continuing to do something for God that is pleasing in his sight.

The other day, I looked at our ranks of our teenagers, 18 to 13.

You know, we have over a hundred now?

You say, well, look at your family, no wonder.

I mean, you know.

We've contributed.

And I know a lot of those 13 years old looks at me at 40 and says, man, is he old?

I remember when I was 13, and anybody over 35 was just ancient.

But we better have a plan and a purpose.

Our next generation is watching us.

And we'd rather give them a vision.

And we better help them to go down in the stream and pick out some rocks for their life and get ready to do something for God.

And they watch our example, not just our words, but our actions.

I got nails in abundance, I got stones in abundance, I got wood in abundance, I got the blueprints ready to go.

And I prepared with all my might.

So God would be pleased.

And may I say, when he did that, he was not a young, ruddy little lad.

He was a man that had been battled, had fought, had lost, had won, had made mistakes, had had people against him within and without.

But he was a man after God's own heart and all the way to David's end, he had a vision to do something for God.

Why?

Because he knew who God was.

Maybe that would be a good start.

I need to get to know God better.

Maybe a good start would be, Lord, I want to spend a little time communicating with you and listening to you.

Please.

Use me.

Would you please stand?

Please don't leave.

Please don't go backwards yet.

Just a couple minutes.

I have already asked God, said, Lord, by delivering a message like this, I risk offending someone that doesn't think he ought to put any pressure or push.

And I'm not trying to pressure, and I'm not so much trying to push.

I'm just saying, as you read that story, David had a vision far beyond just Goliath.

He had a plan.

And he knew God, regardless of what those around him said, could do it.

And because he accomplished that later on, he said, you know what?

I'm going to build a temple, not for the glory of man, but for the glory of God.

If you've been at this for a while, it doesn't hurt once in a while to say, God, renew in me a spirit of a vision.

God, maybe I need to go down to the stream and look for some rocks and get my bag out and reload.

Maybe I need to go into sling training where I learn how to use that thing a little bit better.

And by the way, I'm not saying to all the men in here that you have to be a preacher or a pastor or an evangelist.

You could be a Sunday school teacher.

You could be an usher.

You could be a worker at the church.

And I'm not saying to all the ladies that you have to be the wife of a missionary or a pastor or an evangelist.

And I want it clear, I'm not saying to you ladies that you have to go out and be something that you're not.

But as individuals, we better look at our time as it clicks away.

Realizing that one of these days we give an account of the things done in our body.

And let's have an attitude that God is, wants to, and will use us even in the future.

Regardless of whether we've been successful or not in the past, He has a plan.

Now today, I know you want to leave, but instead of going backwards, maybe it wouldn't hurt for some of us to come forward and say, Lord, you want me to go down the stream?

You want me to prepare in abundance?

And it wouldn't hurt for some of us who are affecting the lives of those over a hundred teenagers to come forward and say, Lord, my teen.

Or Lord, our teens in our group.

Well, God, help them at a young age to go down the stream and pick up some rocks and get ready to do something for thee in their lifetime.

With your heads bowed and your eyes closed.

Maybe it's not for you today.

Maybe it's for some 13-year-old boy or 14-year-old girl.

Maybe it's for some teens that you don't even know.

But would you, either for yourself or for someone you know, take some time this morning and say, you know what?

I need, Father, to hear from thee.

Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth.