Testing The Dream Run

Pastor Edgar Mayer; Living Grace Community Lutheran Church; Message on King David 5 (1 Samuel 18-21); Date: 3 August 2008

For more sermons and other writings check out pastor’s homepage: http://www.geocities.com/mayeredgar

Testing The Dream Run

The Bible makes some stupendous promises which we – time and again – ignore because they sound too fantastic. For instance, I read to you from 1 John 3:22. The Bible declares: “ … we receive from God anything we ask, because we obey him … “ Hear this again and just imagine that the words are true: “ … we receive from God anything we ask, because we obey him … “ You can ask for anything! So – what do you want – from God? How high do we want to aim?

Still not sure? Jesus himself repeated the same promise – John 15:7 – he said: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you” (cf. Matthew 17:21). The meaning of these words is – maybe – implausible – judging by our current level of Christian experience – but the words themselves are clear. Remain in him and let his words remain in you, then ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. Whatever you wish!

Therefore – why not – this morning – dare to make a wishlist. Don’t come here expecting nothing from God because he delights in making your dreams come true.[1] The Bible even records a specific incident where God responded to the prayers and sacrifices of one man with this grand invitation – 1 Kings 3:5: “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Then the man in question made a request which pleased God so much that he said – 1 Kings 3:11-14: “ … Since you have asked for wisdom to govern my people [original: this] and not for long life or wealth … I will do what you have asked … Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for – both riches and honour – so that in your lifetime you will have no equal … “ With God there is always more. Therefore, ask for whatever you wish.

Now we come back to our sermon series on King David. If you are like me, you wouldn’t mind receiving from God what he received. One moment he was simply a shepherd boy – out in the sticks – guarding sheep – the youngest of eight brothers – but the next moment he was anointed as the future king and the Spirit of God came upon him in power. We read in the Bible – 1 Samuel 16:13: “So [the prophet] Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him … and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power … “

Is what happened to David beyond us? No. The surprising answer is: No. On account of Jesus’ death and resurrection – our life of faith in him – the same privilege of a Holy Spirit anointing with power is promised to all of us. Jesus pledged to all of his disciples – Acts 1:8: “ … you will receive power when the Holy Spirt comes on you … “ And even in the throne room of heaven a song declares the same truth about us – Revelation 5:9-10: “ … [Jesus,] with your blood you purchased people for God … [Jesus,] you have made them to be kings and priests to serve our God and they will reign on earth.”

Do we dare to aim that high? Like David – the Holy Spirit comes upon us with power and then we will reign on earth as kings in the service of our God? This is awesome indeed but – let me give you an early warning – there is a cost attached to the anointing – the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

At first – according to expectation – David had a dream run. The shepherd boy was quickly promoted to live in the palace – 1 Samuel 16:21-23: “ … [King] Saul liked him very much and sent word to Jesse [his father], saying, ‘Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.’ … “ Then the shepherd boy won the war against the Philistines by striking down the giant Goliath with a shepherd’s sling. The women danced in victory and sang – 1 Samuel 18:7: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul gave him a high rank in the army which pleased all the people and the king’s son loved him as himself. He even married the king’s daughter who also loved him very much. All over David’s life there was evidence that the Holy Spirit was upon him and thus, he received a taste of future glory.

Could it get any better? There was the anointing, a dream run of rapid promotion and excellent prospects. God did what he was expected to do – allow no evil plan to succeed against David. God turned every curse – every evil intent – into a blessing. He made this a time of tasting future glory.

For instance, when Saul became jealous of David and his growing fame, he – under the influence of an evil spirit – hurled a spear at David – twice – but David eluded him – twice. Then, the Bible records – 1 Samuel 18:12: “Saul became afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had left Saul.” And that’s how it should be. Let God strike fear into the opposition. Let him protect the anointed one from murder.

Nothing – so it seemed – could stop David’s dream run. Saul made him a commander of a thousand men – hoping that he would be killed in battle but – 1 Samuel 18:13-16 – I read from the Bible: “ … David led the troops … [and] in everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.” Saul hoped that David would die in battle but God frustrated his hopes and instead made David victorious in battle and therefore loved by everyone. [Cf. 1 Samuel 18:20-30.] There was ongoing success in the anointing – 1 Samuel 18:30: “The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.”

Right. If that’s what it looks like when the Holy Spirit comes upon you in power, then we all want our fair share of this blessing. David received a wonderful taste of future glory.

Do we – by any chance – experience the same? Yes – to some extent. When we first repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ, we inherit the promise of the Holy Spirit and when he – as promised – comes upon us with power, there is joy and a foretaste of future glory. Maybe we receive the beginner’s gift of speaking in tongues and marvel at this strange prayer language. Maybe for the first time in our lives we experience such an outpouring of love that is drenching all of the dry places in our heart. Maybe there is a new quiet hunger for more of God’s Word and we begin to read the Bible ferociously. Maybe we receive an early prophetic word for someone or a vision. Maybe there is a first healing of someone. In the excitement of first love there can be early signs of God’s future plans for us.

For instance, when Paul was converted in the Bible and filled with the Spirit, he immediately began to have a passion for mission work and he made a few first attempts – Acts 9:20-22: “ … At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God … Paul [original: Saul] grew more and more powerful and baffled the unbelievers [original: Jews] … “ There were early signs of promise also for him.

What happened for you? Anything? It may come later. Did you receive a passion for children’s ministry or labouring in prayer or making music to God in worship or supplying finances to the kingdom of God or administration or entering politics as a Christian or becoming a godly tradesperson, etc. And – like David – did you at first have a dream run – a time of tasting future glory – promising signs of early success – open doors and opportunities?

Only – for David the dream run came to an abrupt end. And – before I forget – Paul experienced the same when he ran into opposition that wanted to kill him. He was forced to flee (Acts 9:23-30) as David was forced to flee from all the previous favour that was poured out on him.

Why? Does this make sense to us? Why would the dream run come to an end when it was God that made the dream run happen in the first place and why would God want to squander all of the early – hard-won – success?

Please – all of us – understand this key lesson of the anointing. God will give you a time of tasting future glory – he will give you a foretaste for faith building – but then there will also be a time of testing which is going to be painful. God will not be in a hurry when he is teaching you lessons of refinement – purifying you in suffering – so that your character can be trusted with his glory. And therefore – I may add this – consider what you wish for because the greater your anointing – the greater your gift of Holy Spirit power – the more thorough-going will be your testing trials.

David – at last – had to flee from King Saul. While soldiers were watching the house, his wife – the daughter of Saul – let him down through a window and he escaped. He would not see his wife again – for years – and then have his heart further torn out of him when her father – Saul – made her marry again – another man – while he was on the run (1 Samuel 25:44).

Was that God? No, that was evil – but it was made to serve God’s purposes. David cried out – 1 Samuel 20:1: “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged [Saul] … ?” Nothing made sense to him – as nothing may make sense to us – but there was worse to come. I read from the Bible – 1 Samuel 21:10-13: “ … David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. [How desperate David must have been to flee to the hometown of Goliath whom he killed.] But the servants of Achish said to him, ‘Isn’t this Daivd, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: ‘ … [he has slain] his tens of thousands?’ David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish, king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva [spit] run down his beard.”

What goes through your mind when you live with fear gripping your heart – when you are forced to act like a madman – when spit dribbles down your beard? What goes through your mind when you lose all dignity scratching the city gates? What goes through your mind – how would you feel – towards God? As great as the former glory was, now the temptation is to become bitter and accuse God of malice.

Job may have been gracious, saying – Job 1:21: “ … The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. May the name of the Lord be praised.” Yet, another pastor’s bitter thoughts in burnout may strike a more familiar cord with us. He said: “[God,] I’ve had enough. I’m bailing out. I didn’t have these problems before I was a believer! Jesus doesn’t work. I’ll quit or I’ll opt for a lesser level of Christianity” (R. Loren Sandford: Burnout. Renewal In The Wilderness, Washington: Morris Publishing 1998, p169). Or what about these thoughts: “I’ll fix you, [God]. See if I pray to you! I’ll just go rent a few porno movies and see how you like that! I just won’t talk to you for a while, so there!”

What would we do in David’s case and what are we in fact doing when – for us – the times of tasting future glory turn into times of testing? Is God worth all of the pain? Are we surprised by the turn of events? Are we becoming bitter? Do we feel cheated out of comfortable religion?

David was still not done. David and his men had settled in Ziklag, another Philistine city. One day they came home and – 1 Samuel 30:3-6: “ … found Ziklag destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep … David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him … “

How much more can God ask of you? How much can he ask you to endure? David had years on the run – desperate low points with spit dribbling down his beard – and now this: everything burned – wives, sons and daughters taken captive – grown men reduced to loud weeping until there were no tears left – and then (treatment reserved for David alone) mutiny among his friends who were planning to stone him.

Is that the look of the anointing? Do we know that this extended time of suffering – in some shape or form – is – also for us – the cost of Holy Spirit power? You and I – do not become bitter but endure. The glory is coming.

I quote from a book: “Why is this deep crushing so necessary? Because our own strength, what we’ve known in the past, will not sustain us in the glory into which God is taking us …our present level of holiness is not sufficient to protect us where God is taking us. The glory and anointing of God are a blessing, but also a weight and a pressure needing a solid foundation on which to rest. As the anointing increases, so does the spiritual pressure which tests and strains our character, and so does the accountability God demands of us. The weight of God’s glory and anointing resting on a person must ultimately force open and reveal every crack and fissure in his or her inner self, every unholy ambition, every self-seeking impulse, every control mechanism, every unhealthy need, every immorality” (p142-143).

The problem with the previous king – the problem with Saul – was that he was always worried about himself: what the people thought of him and his decisions, whether there would be a monument to his honour, whether someone else got more glory than him in a victory song, etc. The future king – David – was not to suffer from the same predicament. Instead he was to suffer from a complete loss of everything – wife, home, dignity, friends, safety, … – so that there was nothing left to protect against God’s claims on his life. He was to decrease completely, so that there would be in him holy space for God’s power to increase – in equal measure – completely.

The Bible even says about Jesus – Hebrews 2:10 – that he was made “perfect through suffering”. And Hebrews 5:8-9: “ … he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him … “

Do not become bitter in the time of testing. Do not turn against God but recognize his favour in the midst of tears. When David suffered his most crushing low point – with everything gone and his men ready to stone him – the Bible tells us that – 1 Samuel 30:6: “ … David strengthened himself in the Lord.” “ … David strengthened himself in the Lord” which means that David prayed and worshipped until he once again sensed the love of God flooding his life. If David had allowed himself to become bitter, he would have been robbed of his last refuge – the love of God which can be relied on in the midst of any storm.[2]

It is as the apostle Paul said – Philippians 4:11-13: “ … I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. [But] I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [Because] I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” At the end of the day circumstances do not matter as long as God is there. He is always enough.

Are we agreed? Can we let go of bitterness? I wonder whether now the opening promises of the Bible make more sense – 1 John 3:22: “ … we receive from God anything we ask, because we obey him … “ John 15:7 – Jesus said: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you” (cf. Matthew 17:21).

As we have said, these promises are stupendous. Yet, go ahead – “ … ask whatever you wish … ” God is ever ready to pour out his Spirit upon you with power and then grant us every request. Only – remember the lesson of this message – there is a cost attached to the anointing. “We receive from God anything we ask, because we obey him … “ and we obey him because we have come through a time of testing – with spit dribbling down our beard – loud weeping until there were no tears left. We have been made perfect in suffering and therefore we have learned – we know – how to pray, we know how to ask and we know how the anointing is to serve God’s purposes – and not our own.

In closing, therefore, let me ask: Do you still want it (I mean the anointing)? Considering what we’ve heard and what we may have been through already, do we still want it – or do we shy away from the escalating cost? In the end David did become king – the greatest the nation would ever have – and the Bible summarized his life with these words – Acts 13:36: “ … David had served God’s purpose in his own generation … “ Can we do the same – do we want to do the same – serve God’s purpose in our generation? Do we want to step up as a church, embrace the promises of God – the anointing and its costs – and be available for God to do anything we ask for in his name? Can we aim high?

For instance, can we ask our God for a healing revival? Can we ask our God for the drug addicts to be set free, the homeless to be sheltered, the broken families be restored and thousands upon thousands to be saved in our city – and beyond? Can we ask our God for this school? Can we ask our God to raise us up with a vision for his purpose in our generation? Can we aim high even though we may be brought low? Together – we say “yes”. Amen.