Sunday 08/23/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church
Sermon Title: “David – A Heart for God” – “Ordinary People, Extraordinary God” - Sermon Series - (Part 4 of 5) – 1 Samuel 16:1-13
(Cover
Picture – King David - Picture)
For the last three weeks, we have been discussing
significant figures or people in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. Four of
these figures or leaders are great patriarchs of the Jewish faith and by extension
our Christian faith. The final Matriarch we will discuss next Sunday, Esther,
is a significant figure or person, as well. God, centuries before Jesus Christ
was on this earth, and even today often takes “Ordinary People” and can and
does do “Extraordinary” things through them. Further, “Extraordinary” to me can
defined as anything that points people towards Jesus and makes them more like
Jesus. Whenever we serve, whenever we love, whenever we pray, whenever we help,
transform, etc., we are allowing God to us to do extraordinary things!
So far in this “Ordinary People, Extraordinary God” sermon
series, we have discussed Noah and the story of the Ark/Flood. We then
discussed the father of many nations, and Patriarch over half the world’s
population, Father Abraham. Last Sunday, we talked about Joseph, and how God
used him in extraordinary ways. God used Joseph to save his own people, ensure their
survival and future, even though his own brothers sold him into slavery. In
fact, Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis 50:20:
20 As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today (Gen. 50:20, RSV).
Even when things are hard, when things are great, or in between,
the God of the Universe is at work. The Lord is at work this day, and God can
use all, ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God might be doing something
right here right now in this service, as the Holy Spirit might be at work right
here and right now. Do we see it, do we feel it?
This morning, I want to discuss the great King David, a
significant Patriarch in the Jewish faith, and significant in our Christian
faith. Now you may have noticed the past few Sundays these figures, these
people, these Patriarchs are hard to preach in one sermon. There are often many
chapters of scripture for each of these people, so I am giving more an overview
of these people.
(David and
Goliath – Picture)
When many people
think of King David, they probably first think of a young boy with a sling and
a stone going up against the mighty Philistine warrior Goliath. We hear about
the story of David in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Chronicles, 1 Kings,
and he is also mentioned in many other Old and New Testament Books, as well. In
fact, probably every Christmas or Christmas Eve worship service you have ever
attended mentioned King David. Specifically, this morning we are picking up in
the story of David, in 1 Samuel 16:1-13, who will unite as king, the Kingdom of
Israel. David was the youngest son of Jesse, and in this story this morning he
is anointed to become the king of all of Israel.
Our scripture from
1 Samuel 16:1-13 for this morning says, once again 16:1-4:
David Anointed as King
16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me him whom I name to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem (1 Sam. 16:1-4, RSV).
Samuel is tasked with finding a king and it
will not be Saul. Saul of course will not be happy about this. Yet, God told
Samuel to go Jesse the Bethlehemite, who lived in what we now call Bethlehem,
and anoint with oil one of his sons who will become the King of Israel.
So, Samuel, instructed by God, meets all of
Jesse’s son. Jesse and his sons invited Samuel to make a sacrifice before God
with them. Samuel thinks that God will reveal which one of Jesse’s sons is to
be anoint the king of Israel. As Samuel was looking over Jesse’s son, 1 Samuel
16:7 says, once again:
7 But
the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the
height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees
not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but
the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7, RSV).
God is telling Samuel
that son of Jesse that he is calling him to anoint to be the King of Israel won’t
necessarily be chose because of his exterior or outer appearance. The person who
will be anointed as the King of Israel, might not be the tallest, the
strongest, the best looking, the most popular, or voted most likely to succeed in
their senior yearbook.
(David Anointed
by Samuel – Picture)
As it turns out, seven of Jesse’s sons get seen and looked
over by Samuel, and yet none of these seven sons of Jesse are God’s choice to
be anointed and to become the King of Israel. In response to this, 1 Samuel
16:11-13, says once again this:
11 And Samuel said to
Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest,
but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and fetch
him; for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And
he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was
handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is
he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him
in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came
mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to
Ramah (1 Sam. 16:1-13,
RSV).
Jesse had eight sons, and the Lord told Samuel that David,
the youngest of these eight sons should be anointed to become the King of Israel.
David was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons. David was the smallest, and certainly
not the strongest of Jesse’s sons. In fact, in Psalm 151, which is not in most
Protestant Christian Bibles states that David was smallest among his brothers,
in what we would call the Apocrypha. These are scriptures that not in our Bible
but do contain some truth.
Why would God choose
the youngest son of Jesse, who was probably about fifteen or so when he was anointed
by Samuel? David won’t become king of Israel however, until age thirty. The answer
to this question is 1 Samuel 16:1-13:
(The Lord
Looks at the Heart -1 Samuel 16:1-13 – Picture)
You see when God calls someone, God is looking at the spirit
and the heart much more often the exterior of the person. The Lord looks at the
heart more than the body. In Psalm 51, a “Psalm of David” we hear in 51:10
this:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10, RSV).
(The Lord
Looks at the Heart – 1 Samuel 16:7– Picture)
David was chosen, who was ruddy, reddish, red haired,
small, because in him was the right spirit. When God calls someone, He often is
looking at the heart the spirit of the person. God is looking at the interior
of the person, not the exterior. Now for those than know the story of King
David, he made mistakes and was not perfect. Yet, in him was the right heart
and the right spirit, as he had a heart after God’s heart.
I feel that God has a great sense of humor because I picked
this sermon out months ago, not knowing that today we would be honoring Pastor
Bud’s 50th year of ordination in the American Baptist Church. The
reason God has a great sense of humor, is because of all the characters in the
Bible, Pastor Bud reminds me the most of David. David was moral, ethical, self-sacrificing,
virtuous, fair, and had a heart after God’s own heart. Further, when King David
messed up, the prophet Nathan called him out, and David repented. As it turns
out, not only do Pastor Bud and Marvel have a son named Nathan, but they also
have a son in law named Nathan. I am not sure if this gives these two Nathans
licenses to correct Pastor Bud or not, but if Pastor Bud is likened to King
David, then I think these two Nathans are allowed to Pastor Bud to straighten
up if they want to!
(2 Samuel
5:1-2 - Picture)
A shepherd boy from the fields, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, chosen by God to unite and rule the Kingdom of Israel. Not because he was the biggest, the fastest, or the strongest, but because in him God found the right heart, and the right spirit. Not only this, but God also went a stepfather with the great King David. For not only would David united Israel and become its king, but one day once his decedents would emerge and claim the same thrown for eternity.
(The
Eternal Kingdom of David – 2 Samuel 7:12-13– Picture)
We read this in 2 Samuel
7:12-13, that King David’s rule will lead to an eternal rule, and that throne
of David will be occupied for eternity.
(The
Eternal Kingdom of David – 2 Samuel 7:12- Picture)
This will a strong kingdom,
as we often read in Christmas and or Christmas Eve worship in Luke 2:11 the
gospel says:
(Today in
the City of David – Luke 2:11 – Picture)
11 for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Lk. 2:11, RSV).
I remember when I was
serving a church in the Southern Tier of New York State for six-years. I met a
man who lived in the community that I was serving in, only to find out that his
high school football coach was none other than Vince Lombardi. In fact, Gene’s
brother had to go to summer school one summer, he remembered his brother doing
some summer schoolwork in the basement of Lombardi’s house in New Jersey. This
of course was Saint Cecilia High School in Englewood, New Jersey.
Vince Lombardi famously said:
"It's not the size of the dog in the
fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"
Pastor Bud, I don’t
believe that God had you ordained a pastor fifty years ago, simply because of
your exterior, I believe that like King David, that he chose you, because you
have the right heart and the right spirit. You have unbelievably high standards
of ministry and service, and you know I do as well. I think this is one of the reasons
we love and respect each other so much, not because we have the same hairdo. While
I am more an Apostle Peter, and while I believe that you are more of King David,
what a blessing it is to stand in the line of heroes, and on the shoulders of
giants here at the Adams Village Baptist Church, as we celebrate your 50th
year of ordination. You know what else Pastor Bud, here is some data that I
looked up for today to prove to you how significant today is:
“Only
about 10% of Protestant pastors will eventually retire out of full-time
ministry, and an even smaller single-digit percentage ever reach a 50-year
"Golden Jubilee" milestone” (https://www.google.com/search?q=what+percentage+of+clergy+celebrate+50+years+of+service).
You know what this tell me Pastor Bud?
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of
the fight in the dog"
Today we celebrate the great King David, the decedent of Jesus, who
lives and reigns forever, as promised. Today we also celebrate a friend, a
fellow Chrisitan, a pastor, and of course a Michigan fan, who God has used to
change countless lives. Bud what you have done, and what you continue to do
matters, and lives have been changed because of you. Pastor Bud well done, good
and faithful servant.
Once again, I also feel comforted knowing that there are
two Nathan’s in your life that can call you out and keep you on the “straight
and narrow” to! Happy 50th Rev. Dr. Masters! Amen.
Now Pastor Bud you going
to come up and show this kid how it’s done. Thank you, sir!
(Pastor Bud and King David – Picture)
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