Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

David during the reign of King Saul was a hunted man

Psa 141:9

Yet by God’s grace he continually eluded Saul, despite many traps he had set up for him.

Similarly we are hunted by an enemy

He sets up many different traps to ensnare us and destroy our walk with Christ

Let us look at some principles David developed that aided him in escaping the pitfalls or traps the enemy had set up for him, so we can do the same for our spiritual enemy.

The world is around us, Satan comes against us, and our flesh rises from within us

I) Be prayerful ()

Traps come from prayerlessness

Traps come from prayerlessness

-David at Keilah ()

He inquired if he should go (vs 2) (delivered city from Philistines)

He inquired for confirmation (vs 4)

He inquired if he should leave (vs 11-12)

(Deliverance of his army from King saul)

1 Samuel 23:

A) Continual Fellowship (, 10-12)

pray without ceasing

Calling wife, texting wife illustration

guidance, protection, wisdom, decisions, outcomes, daily work, family matters

what is my prayer assignment?

A burden

A relationship not just a need

A desire not just a delivery package

A conversation not just a checklist

like taking cough syrup medicine

B) Coupled with Following (vs 4-5, 12-13)

Faith and Works

An old Scotsman operated a little rowboat for transporting passengers.

One day a passenger noticed that the old man had carved on one oar the word faith, and on the other oar the word works.

Curiosity led him to ask the meaning of this.

The old man said, “I will show you.”

Because of our ignorance

He dropped one oar and plied the other called works, and the boat went around in circles.

Then he dropped that oar and began to ply the oar called faith, and the little boat just went around in circles again.

Specific prayer

I pray but I am not following

Prayer Assignments

I pray but I am not contending for the faith

I pray but I am not giving

C) Courageous in Faith

Did not doubt

Asked believing

George Mueller - secret to prayer

Prayed in millions of british pounds to feed orphans

Recorded over 25,000 direct answers to prayer in his prayer ledger

I pray but never specific

I pray but don't really see the point or purpose

I pray but doubt anything really will happen

More of a religious duty than changing the world around me

BE PRAYERFUL

II) Be Purposeful (, )

A) Traps come from purposelessness “the wayside”

Traps come from THE purposelessness “the wayside”

It’s very important that you establish your purpose when a problem comes

David’s purpose was to deliver God’s people from the enemy at whatever cost

God had a purpose

-Keilah was saved (vs 4)

-Others joined his cause (vs 6)

Saul wasted money and time on a cause that was not his purpose (vs 26-27)(1 Sam 26:20)

His purpose was to fight the Lord’s battles not his own

Not every opportunity is God’s plan or purpose ()

A) Not often Comfortable (, 7-8)

Exposed his army to Saul

Went to war against the Philistines

What I like, what I enjoy, what my initial desire is

Dont ever lose sight of your purpose to comfort

Often God’s glory follows great discomfort

B) Not often Compensated (1 Sam 23:11-13)

no fruit

Most of the colleges in the United States that started over 300 years ago were Bible-proclaiming schools originally.

Harvard and Yale (originally Puritan) and Princeton (originally Presbyterian) once had rich Christian histories.

Harvard was named after a Christian minister.

Yale was started by clergymen, and Princeton’s first year of class was taught by Reverend Jonathan Dickinson.

Princeton’s crest still says “Dei sub numine viget,” which is Latin for “Under God she flourishes.”

The early motto of Harvard was Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae, meaning "Truth for Christ and the Church".

In the early classes, half the graduates became ministers (though by the 1760s the proportion was down to 15%) and ten of Harvard's first twelve presidents were ministers.

Systematic theological instruction was inaugurated in 1721 and by 1827 Harvard became a nucleus of theological teaching in New England.[10]

The end of Mather's presidency in 1701 marked the start of a long struggle between orthodoxy and liberalism.

Harvard's first secular president was John Leverett, who began his term in 1708.

Leverett left the curriculum largely intact and sought to keep the College independent of the overwhelming influence of any single sec

After God had carried us safe to New England and we had builded our houses, provided necessaries for our livelihood, reared convenient places for God's worship, and settled the civil government: One of the next things we longed for and looked after was to advance learning and perpetuate it to posterity; dreading to leave an illiterate ministry to the churches, when our present ministers shall lie in the dust.

Left God for money

Left holiness for popularity

Left please God for pleasing man

Don’t ever lose sight of your purpose to compensation

C) Not Confused ()

-It took faith (Vs 3)

God had a purpose

-Keilah was saved (vs 4)

-Others joined his cause (vs 6)

Saul wasted money and time on a cause that was not his purpose (vs 26-27)()

His purpose was to fight the Lord’s battles not his own

Not every opportunity is God’s plan or purpose ()

Luther’s Church is now a museum and tourist attraction

Frankes orphanages now apartments in Halle Germany

The Great commission must never be replaced by the great distraction

Who am I actively attempting to win to Christ?

Be a lighthouse