Note: This was supposed to be the first night sermon of our revival. Pastor was in the hospital and missed Homecoming and the entired revival series. This is important to understand and this was the first sermon preached from our pulpit yesterday morning. Please forgive the references describing the beginning of a week of revival. Revival doesn't begin and end in man's prescribed time. Be blessed...
Poured Out
1 Chronicles 11:18 “And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord,” [1]
I. Determined
A. Removed
B. Received
II. Delivered
A. Requested
B. Rejected
III. Decided
A. Reviewed
B. Revered
Introduction: The title of this message is “Poured Out.” If we were to only read the focal verse today we might think what a waste! Why would someone say that they want something and then throw it on the ground once someone else went to the great trouble to get what he / she wanted? Why do we do that?
Nobody can put worth on anything except the one who is about to have it. At least this is the way society has taught this generation to think. Society teaches to take whatever you want or that you can get away from someone else and use it up for your pleasure. When you are done with it, throw it away because if you don’t want it that means it is worthless.
People are not taught the same as I was taught as a child and that shows. There were three sisters, a brother, a dad home on the weekends, a grandfather, and a mother who held it all together. Momma said take all you want but if you take it you eat it. We would come down here where Momma was an in-law and we would hear a different idea. If you take too much remember to put what you don’t eat in the slop bucket. The hogs have to eat too.
In Momma’s defense, we didn’t have hogs in the back yard in the suburbs of DC. Bottom line though, nothing was wasted. The hogs had to eat because later… Well you know what we do with hogs. To throw something away that someone else worked for to provide for you was terrible. It was terrible because we were also taught not to think of ourselves on top of the importance pyramid.
Some people down through history have not understood that and it cost them greatly. The politicians make great claims of why the little people beneath them should elect them to be above them. There is little said anymore about what someone might do to serve those who elected them to office. There is never anything said about the God-given qualifications a politician possesses that will enhance society. What is often stated is why their opponents are out of touch with how far this society has progressed. Progressed to what!
During election season, that seems to never break now, people are encouraged to think for and about themselves. People are encouraged to believe that this is the only generation that matters. Mistakes from the past should be ignored and not learned from. Only this generation knows what is best for them so everything and everybody else must be ignored. They know that there is a history but it is spun so that there is nothing important enough to give attention to so they choose to ignore the past. That, by the way, is the definition of ignorance. Lack of knowledge is not ignorance. Ignorance is a conscious decision to ignore what you know to be true. There is no forgiveness for ignorance. Jesus didn’t say Father forgive their ignorance when He was on the cross. Jesus said Father forgive them for they know not what they do. We are choosing to elect people who have chosen to ignore God and He does not forget.
Politicians take what others have worked for and pour it out to those who would vote to keep them in office. The idea of pouring out to God is foreign in this world we live in today yet if you would do a word study through the entire Bible for the words, “poured out”, it might amaze you what it means to pour out that which you hold of great value for the Lord.
Anointing oil was poured out on a person who was about to be delivered to God for His purpose. Jesus had perfume poured upon Him as He was about to be delivered for our sin. Let us reconsider what it means to pour out that which God has given us as the ultimate act of devotion to God. We just might find that He will return that which we decided to pour out to Him.
Scripture: The focal scripture today is 1 Chronicles 11:18. Please stand if you’re able.
Prayer: Let us pray. Be seated.
Message: So where was the world when this scripture was news? David had not been named King. Samuel knew that David would be. Saul died knowing that David would take the throne and that his offspring would not.
We see in 1 Chronicles 11:6 that David simply made a comment and his mighty three heard him. Joab took what David said as a command so Joab went up first and killed the Jebusites who were occupying the area where Jerusalem would be. He did more than that because after Joab had eradicated the Jebusites he cleaned up the mess they left behind. David’s fame grew more and more; much because of what the ones who served him had accomplished yet they were not seeking glory. They were seeking the approval of David.
In 1 Chronicles 11:10-15 the other two of the three main captains of David’s army were mentioned. They were Jashobeam and Eleazer. So we see that there were thirty captains but David had an inner circle of three. See the parallel? Jesus had twelve original disciples who were the apostles yet Jesus also had an inner circle of three.
In verse sixteen the KJV said David was in the hold. He was holding up in a cave of Adullam while the Philistines were camped nearby. Verse seventeen is an example of a leader saying something that apparently he means to be not taken literally. He was thinking about that well with that water that he was familiar with and said how much he would like a drink from it. Be careful what you say when there are those close to you that would do anything to please you.
Now we are at our focal verse. The three broke through the guards. Where was David while this was going on? Oh yeah he was holding up in the cave. Do you suppose he was sincere about his wanting the drink from that well or was he simply making conversation?
That didn’t matter to the three. They were determined to please their leader. First they removed the obstacle of the guards and then they took that which they had gone there to receive for David. That was their objective and they carried it out. Notice that the well was there at the gate where everyone came and went. They accomplished their job without hesitation even though they were exposed for anyone to see them.
Is there any mention that they drank from the well before they left there? We don’t know and can’t say. It was not their purpose. They went to deliver the water to David and that is what they did. All they heard was what David requested so whether he received it or rejected it was of no concern to them. When David explained his purpose for rejecting the water it only strengthened the relationship between David and his captains. They didn’t become angry and obstinate as I might have. Earlier David had made a quick request that was carried out. Now he was careful to have his purpose understood to those that we so faithful to him.
We see here another parallel of God making His requests known. We shouldn’t care whether our sacrifice will be received or rejected. Jesus has paid the price for our adoption so our sacrifices really are signs that we love God. His acceptance is not a condition of our pardon from sin. Our pardon does not depend our sacrifices. We only know that God loves us.
These building were built by others to show that somebody decided to worship here. Those of us who worship here now are careful that the world sees a place where God is worshipped. People do see.
Church buildings once had a special place in communities. They were protected and cherished.. Now we are seeing church buildings all over being used for all sorts of thing that have nothing to do with serving God. What God is going to do with these buildings when we are no longer here really is something that we have no control over. What matters is that God knows we love Him even more than these buildings. These buildings have stood the test of time for years. Now what? God is what!
David decided to let his mind wanderings to be known. He was in a dark place and his mind had wandered to that certain well that provided that special water that refreshed him like no other. He decided to mention that. His three captains decided if David wanted water he was going to get water. Notice that David stayed in the cave. He didn’t go with them.
They brought the water and David knew that he didn’t deserve having those valiant men risking their lives to get him a drink. After careful review he knew that the only one who did deserve their reverence was God. Only God is worthy to be revered above and beyond everything that this life has to offer. And God allowed Jesus to be offered for us. How can we possibly do less? It is time for revival!
Prayer:
Invitation: We began this morning with our Sunday morning Bible study. We heard a homecoming message from a pastor who is revered by the congregation where he faithfully served around forty years. We adjourned to the fellowship hall and shared in the food that was brought as we reminisced about the memories made here and the families that have migrated from here to serve God in many other places.
This evening began our three evening of Revival meetings. What does it mean to pour out that which you have received? Some believe that it means wasting a perfectly valuable thing for no reason. Now I pray that we understand that to pour out to the Lord is much different. He gave us all and He alone deserves all.
One day this entire world will be offered up to God. He will decide when that time will be. Matter of fact God has already decided when that time will be. When it has all been poured out to God there will be no waste. We must understand that whatever we do and accomplish for God is not a waste of anything.
Some who have been here diligently working nearly all of their free time have been stopped from their work only to be asked what does what you are doing matter. It’s all going to be gone soon. Ya’ll are wasting your time!
It is God’s time. He created matter. In the final analysis God is the only thing that does matter. Yet He loves you so much that you mattered enough to Him that He sent His Son in your place.
Praise God for all who have walked through these doors. Praise God for those who are faithfully working now to show how much we love God. Praise God. Let the Holy Spirit work. Let us be revived. Let us pray…
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ch 11:18). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
