He Poured Out the Water Because of What It Cost His Men

Sermon outline

David was a man after God's own heart because his heart was devoted, worshipping, submitted, sacrificial, forgiving, generous and friendly, and the character of Christ grows in us the same way, often long before anyone is watching.

1. A man after God's own heart

   God removed Saul and testified that David was a man after His own heart who would do everything He wanted. That should be the goal for all of us, at whatever stage we are. What is in our heart affects our choices, and as we look at David we are challenged to let the heart of Christ produce in us the fruit that pleases God.

   “As you grow in the Lord, you start to thirst more for God.”

   • Acts 13:22

2. A heart of wholehearted devotion

   David loved God whatever his position, though he was not a perfect man. We all miss the target at times, but as long as you keep loving and chasing after God, He forgives, restores and compensates for your mistakes. The greatest command is to love God with the whole heart, and as we lean on Him, fear and doubt, which are spirits, dissipate. His power works in us to the extent that we love Him.

   “As long as you still love after God, you love God and chase after God, God will forgive you.”

   • Matthew 22:37

3. A heart to worship

   Sing joyfully to the Lord, play skilfully and shout for joy. David spent much time in praise, worship and prayer, and knew it was reliance on God, not his own ability, that let him make the big judgements a king must make. God is looking for worshippers whose hearts are captivated by Him.

   Illustration: If you have no time alone at home, worship in the car while you are stuck in traffic. These days people will just think you are on the phone.

   “God desires worshipers, people whose hearts are captivated by him.”

   • Psalm 33:1-3
   • John 4:23

4. Encourage yourself in the Lord

   When David's men lost their families and possessions and wanted to stone him, he did not look for someone to blame; he turned to God and strengthened himself. Sometimes nobody is there to encourage you, so remind yourself of your past victories, because if God did it before He will do it again. We are in a war against principalities and powers whose job is to discourage you and separate you from the word, so serving the Lord is not a walk through the tulips: fight the good fight of faith.

   Illustration: Keep a victory table at home and put up a memo every time God gives you a victory, because people have the potential to forget.

   “If God took us through those times, God will take us through this time.”

   • 1 Samuel 30:6
   • Ephesians 6:12

5. A heart to be under authority

   Being under authority is strength, not weakness, and God empowers, favours and opens doors for those who submit. David refused again and again to kill Saul, though his men urged him and Saul was already rejected, because he would not touch the Lord's anointed and knew he would reap what he sowed. Submit to God and the devil flees. Respect those God has placed over the church, though not to the point of harm; pray for your leaders instead of criticising them, and pick your fights, because people who fight everyone are usually insecure.

   Illustration: He begins his own prayers by telling the Lord that he is the under-shepherd and Jesus the chief shepherd. Jesus, who created John the Baptist, humbled Himself to be baptised by him.

   “It's not weakness to be under authority, it's strength.”

   • James 4:7

6. A heart of sacrifice

   When David longed for water from Bethlehem and his men risked their lives to fetch it, he would not drink it; he poured it out to the Lord, because it represented their lives. He could have said a king deserves the best whatever it costs. Following Christ means serving God and His people whatever it costs, and leaders serve too, by praying and labouring in the word. Count the cost: family and friends may turn against you, but one day they will ask how you are making it. Learn to discern which voice is speaking, because one person with God is a majority.

   Illustration: Peter, a disciple, spoke for Satan when he tried to stop Jesus going to the cross. The older folk know what a bucket bath is; like Paul, they know how to abound and how to be abased. And people only see one slice of your life, like one colour on a paint chart, not everything you went through to get there.

   “David recognised that his water represented the lives of men who had gone to get it for him.”

   • 1 Chronicles 11:15-19
   • Luke 14:28
   • Matthew 16:23
   • Philippians 4:12
   • Psalm 33:20-21

7. The foundation laid with the sheep

   God took David from the sheepfolds to shepherd His people, and he led them with integrity of heart and skilful hands. Alone in the wilderness he learned to protect his father's sheep, to fight off wild animals and to sing and worship God. Without knowing it he was laying the foundation for his later life, and how he carried himself then is why the people loved him as king.

   “In those times, what he didn't know, he was creating for himself a foundation for his later life.”

   • Psalm 78:70-72

8. A heart to forgive

   When his own son overthrew him and he fled, exhausted and dejected, a man cursed him and threw stones, and David could easily have retaliated but chose to please God. Forgive the difficult and backstabbing people around you, because when you do they fall into God's hands and He becomes your defence. Do not repay evil for evil but bless, seek peace and pursue it; it is better to suffer for doing good.

   “When you forgive them, then they fall in the hands of God, then God becomes your automatic defense.”

   • 1 Peter 3:8-17

9. A generous heart and a friendly heart

   David recognised God's generosity to him and wanted to be generous to others. We serve an extravagant God and often ask too little, so ask big in Jesus' name. Love bulldozed fear and striving for position out of Jonathan's heart. Love always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres, and year by year we learn to love enemies and forgive. The lack of Christ's character will destroy a ministry, so dedicate yourself to letting it be worked out in you daily.

   Illustration: Before he was saved he wanted to hoard everything he had. As a Christian he started to give, and the more he gave, the more he got.

   “Let's ask big. Even if we get halfway, it's still something.”

   • John 16:24
   • 1 Corinthians 13:6-7
   • Romans 5:5

In this message