An Amazing Lesson From An Amazing Leader

0:31 That's the topic, subject today. An amazing message. Lesson, actually. An amazing lesson from an amazing leader. Let me, allow me, those of you who've been here for the last several weeks, to rehearse this story from 1 Samuel 30. That's the passage I'm reading, 1 Samuel 30, that I'm going to talk about, 1 Samuel 30. And I'm going to rehearse, for the people who haven't been here, the story of David. David has a 17-year-old teenager, goes down to the battlefield and kills Goliath. The army of Israel is hidden over in a ditch. And David rises up and challenges, takes his slingshot and some stones and kills Goliath. It is a phenomenal experience.

1:30 He defeats Goliath. And the people begin to sing David's praise. As a matter of fact, the scripture tells us that when the women marched into the city, they said Saul killed thousands, but David has killed 10,000. There's a great celebration going on. And the people began to celebrate David, so much so that King Saul gets angry. He's jealous. And he goes on an attack to try to kill David. David's on the run. David's running to save his life, and in his effort to escape King Saul, he runs into a cave. And in the cave are some jacked-up jokers, some rejects, some rejects. Somebody say there were some rejects.

2:24 they're in debt in distress and discontent that's what the scripture says about them they're in distress in their discontent and they're in debt and they elect choose David to be their leader the scripture says in 1 Samuel 22 that David becomes their leader he leads them They're unemployed. They ain't got no job. So he finds them a good government job. they become soldiers in the Philistine army. Are y'all still with me? They joined the Philistine army and just before they go to the first battle, one of the leaders of the Philistine army sees David and his 600 men in his army and these are Jews.

3:25 These are Hebrews. I said, what are these Hebrew boys doing here? We about to fight Israel. They're going to turn. they're going to flip on us. Y'all ever met somebody that flipped on you? He said, these guys are going to flip on us. They can't fight with us. So they dismiss them. They send them home. They fire them. They get terminated.

3:46 And they get back home to Ziglag. And when they get home, their city is burnt with fire, destroyed. And their wives and children have been taken captive. It is a sad day. Anybody here ever had a sad day in your life? It's a sad day.

4:09 And the Bible says that the men cried. They wept until they had no more tears to cry. 1 Samuel 30. They cried until they had no more tears to cry. And they even said to themselves, they considered there was some mumbling, and there was some discussion going on about killing David. Some of the men in the group are so distraught that they talk about stoning David. What do you do when the whole world is against you? He encouraged himself, the scripture says.

4:47 Matter of fact, that's what this title of this series is, is encourage yourself. And that word encourage, shazak is the Hebrew word. It means to talk to yourself. it's okay to talk to yourself as long as you saying the right stuff some of y'all are talking to yourself but you ain't saying the right stuff go ahead look at your neighbor and say talk to yourself and tell yourself the right stuff Amen.

5:19 David encouraged himself. And after he encouraged himself, the scripture says, he inquired of the Lord. He prayed and said to God, ask God, shall I pursue? Shall I go after my wife and my kids, our wives and our kids? Should we do that? And God said, pursue. As a matter of fact, one of these messages in this series, I told y'all to go pursue. Go after what it is that the devil took from you. Can I tell y'all something?

5:49 When the devil tries to take something from you or deny you, God will give it back to you. So come here, come here. This is Sheena right here. Come here, Sheena. Sheena came to me this morning after the morning service. She done heard this sermon once already. And she came and told me afterwards, she said, Pastor, you know, I applied to go to Yale for Divinity School and they denied me. She said, but during the service, while I'm in service, I got an email that they gave me, they accepted me at Yale. Thank you. That was when the service first ended. She came up and told me.

6:51 Then I went downstairs to my office after service. Then she came back downstairs. She said, I forgot to tell you something else. I just got another email. It's paid for. Thank you, baby. Somebody tell your neighbor, God, God will work it out for you. Go ahead, tell your neighbor, say, I'm next, I'm next, I'm next. Look out, something's about to come in the email for me. Look out, God's about to restore everything that the enemy took. The devil tried to deny me, but God is going to open up the door for me.

7:58 encourage yourself go ahead tell yourself tell yourself God's gonna work it out tell yourself God's got something in my future tell yourself God's got a miracle he's working out tell yourself behind the scene you can't see it but he's moving stuff and orchestrating things all around all you gotta do is be patient and wait on God. All right, sit down, y'all. Sit down. Stop, y'all. On my preaching time, y'all. Sit down. Stop. Stop now. You can't see that!

9:01 Okay. So, God told David, pursue. pursue go after it she had she got denied the first time but she pursued And God gave it back. She pursued. God said pursue. So he, David decides to pursue. Now something interesting happens. These 600 men who are in David's group decide to go and get back what the enemy has taken. But they're at a brook called Besor.

10:07 They're at this brook. And 200 of the 600 men said they were too weary to go. It's too tired to go. Somebody said too tired to go. Okay, I'm running ahead of myself. Can I back up for a second? I got it. See, when I get behind time, I get nervous. But I need to read verse 18 and 19 real quick to y'all. Can I just read verse 18 and 19? It says, so David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives, and nothing of theirs was lacking. Somebody say, nothing was lacking. either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them. Then it says, David recovered all.

11:03 Now what blesses me here is that both in verse 18 at the start says David recovered all and in verse 19 at the end it says David recovered all. Anytime God says something twice, that means he about to do something. He about to show you something. It's significant. David recovered all. That's very significant. I thank the Lord for that. But when we get to verse 20. so David slow down pastor slow down okay When he's at the Brook Besore, before they take off to go and get it back, 200 of the jokers say they're too tired. They're weary. They don't want to go, so they don't go. So he leaves 200 of the soldiers behind. So instead of going with 600 soldiers, he goes with 400. He takes the 400 soldiers, goes down, and leaves 200 behind.

12:00 so they go down and fight the battle get their stuff back get their wives and children and they also not only get their wives and children and all their stuff back as a matter of fact the scripture says they got everything back somebody say verse 19 says nothing of theirs that was lacking nothing was lacking either small or great sons or daughters spoil or anything which they had taken from them they got everything back they got everything back and not only did they get everything back it says in verse 20 that David also had some spoils y'all don't know what that means that means God gives you more over and above what you went to get somebody better look at your neighbor say I'm about to get me some spoils I'm not only going to get what was in my bank account I'm going to put some more in my bank account I'm going to get more in my account than I had when I left.

13:01 Y'all ain't hear what I'm saying to you today. So they go and fight the battle, and when they get their stuff, get their wives and children back and get spoiled, and then they come back to the brook where the 200 men were still left. Y'all with me? Verse 21. Can I read verse 21 to y'all? By the way, I'm sorry. I forgot to tell y'all this. This is a narrative message. What that mean? That means don't look for no points. I normally give y'all points. There ain't going to be no points. Write down whatever the Lord tell you.

13:39 That's what that means. So I'm not going to give you any points. Now David, verse 21. Now David came to the 200 men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. and when David came near the people he greeted. Y'all see that verse 21. So here's a moment where he comes back and the people who got left behind greeted him, welcomed him back. They had been left behind but they greeted him. So verse 22, then all of the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered except for every man's wife and children that they may lead them away and depart.

14:42 Do y'all get that? Do y'all understand that? So these 400 guys come back with David and they decide, they make a suggestion. The guys that didn't go with us, they ain't gonna get none of this spoil. that's what that means that's what all that is said he came to it and look what the scripture says this is verse 22 the scripture says look at this verse 22 then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said because they didn't go with us we will not give them any other spoil that we have recovered Notice the scripture gives us some insights about God's attitude, about the attitude of some of these 400 men.

15:33 The scripture calls these people with this attitude not to share any of the spoils with the people who didn't go. The scripture calls them wicked and worthless. Y'all need to know there's some wicked and worthless people around you. there's a problem when God blesses you but you don't want to help nobody else y'all can't handle this some of y'all can't handle this you can't handle this i want to spend a moment and talk about this because this is a problem this is a lesson we learned from david david is a amazing leader because he did not adopt the attitude of these wicked and worthless men who who matter of fact matter has a matter of fact i go oh let me tell y'all this real quick This is something that I need y'all to understand.

16:27 I need y'all to get because these wicked and worthless men didn't want to share anything with this. But look how David responds. I want y'all to see how David was strong. Are y'all with me? Did I put y'all to sleep yet? Are y'all still with me? I hope y'all ain't got this wicked and worthless spirit on y'all.

16:48 Verse number 23 says, go to the next verse because this is where I'm going to shout right here. But David said, Look how David responds to what they said. David said, my brethren, you shall not do so with what the Lord has given us. Stop right there. Stick a pen. God, here's what David said. Y'all didn't get this on your own. God gave it to you.

17:13 You know what gets on my nerves? if some people in our community in Prince George's County who adopt their attitude, I ain't giving them no ride. I got this car. I pull myself up by my own bootstraps. The truth of the matter is you didn't pull yourself up by anything. God opened the doors for you. God blessed you. God gave you favor. God worked a miracle for you. God answers your prayers. and here you are acting like you did something for yourself. You could not have done anything that you did if God had not made it happen.

17:53 Come on, man. Sit up in your seat, man. You're not all slouched down and everything. We ain't in no club, bro. This is church. Let me come back here to these people that ain't saying amen that one time back here. This crowd right here, this lazy, not saying amen, not clapping crowd. Let me remind you that even though you're sitting in the back section, you still got here by the mercies of Almighty God. He woke you up. He gave you the activities of your limbs. He blessed you. you drove here in a car that God made possible for you to drive. You didn't make the car and if the truth be told, some of y'all, the car ain't even your car.

18:50 Somebody paid for the car for you. I don't know why I'm having so much tension in the room. Can't get nobody saying amen for me and encouraging me. I'm trying to preach my neck off and they're just looking at me like I'm in a foreign language. And I ain't saying anything. When David said, how dare you have an attitude and act like you did this by yourself. You have what you have because God gave it to you. Do y'all realize the house you live in, the clothes you wear?

19:32 Don't act like you did it by yourself. Somebody gave you an opportunity. Somebody gave you a job. Somebody gave you a recommendation. Somebody gave you a promotion that you didn't deserve. God did it for you. He opened the door. He made it happen. Somebody high five. If you know what I'm talking about, high five somebody next to you and say, God did it for me. Hallelujah. Praise his name. Here's what verse 23 says. Can I read it again? Verse 23, but David said, my brother, you shall not do so with what the Lord, the Lord has given us who has preserved us.

20:29 Y'all might as well tell the truth. God kept you from dying. You should have been dead. you should have had cancer you should have died from AIDS gonorrhea, syphilis some of y'all have slept with so many people you should have died from all of it you should have had every disease there was but somebody ought to thank God He kept you He kept you and he delivered you. He brought you out. You didn't deserve it. You didn't earn it, but he delivered you. I wish I had some people that didn't mind giving God the praise because he is a delivery God. He preserved us and delivered us.

21:41 Think about the things God delivered you from. You should have been dead from drugs, all them drugs you mess with. but I don't know where y'all, but I thank God he brought me out. Woo, he delivered me. I wish I, oh, I'm sorry. This is the 10 o'clock crowd. This is the 10 o'clock crowd. Y'all not gonna shout the 12 o'clock crowd. That's the shouting crowd right there. That's the crowd because they know what God delivered them out of. They know they should have been dead. they know they should have been in prison they know they should have been caught and the only reason you ain't in prison is you didn't get caught oh y'all ain't saying nothing you guilty you are guilty but God kept you from getting caught Hallelujah.

22:54 I don't know where y'all are, but I give God praise. I thank Him for where He brought me from. Yes, Lord! Remember, it's the best.

23:19 My mind goes back and I think about my life. I think about as a kid, my parents lived in Southeast D.C. That's the hood. and God worked a miracle for my parents to be able to buy a house in Glen Arden. Y'all a little slow. God bless some of y'all to be able to come out of the hood. Some of y'all saying, I'm still in the hood, but it's okay. You coming out too. God going to bring you out of the hood. And you know what I'm thanking God for? That the hood didn't stay in me, Chris.

24:11 The hood came up out of me. God gave me a desire to live for him. God gave me a desire to live holy. God gave, God delivered me from a lifestyle. Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. when I was a kid. I went over to my cousin's house one day. I went over to my cousin's house and I'm hanging out with my cousin. And my cousin takes me with him, Elder Barham, to break into a school in D.C. and take a lawnmower so that we could take the motor off the lawnmower and put it on a mini bike. Come on, some of y'all had a mini bike with a stolen motor on it. Come on now, don't act like y'all don't know what I'm talking about.

25:17 Yeah. Can I tell you how God delivered me from that lifestyle? Because he was an older cousin and I would have been hanging out with him. So they gave me the assignment while they were running from the school with the lawnmower. They told me to go over, jump the fence while they cut a hole in the fence and jump the fence and let them know if a police or somebody was coming. So I climbed the fence to be the lookout. Jumped off the top of the fence and broke my ankle. That broken ankle delivered me from a lifestyle.

26:13 Come on, somebody. Thank God for a broken ankle. Thank God. He brought me out. He delivered me. I would have been hanging out with my husband, learning all the wrong stuff. Somebody else got that testimony. Thank God. He delivered you. Young people, if somebody tell you to do the wrong thing, don't do it. When they told me they were going to steal a lawnmower to put the motor on the minibank, I should have went home then. But I didn't.

27:07 But thank God when I broke my ankle, I had to go home. And some of y'all need to thank God because something happened to you that kept you out of a lifestyle that would have jacked you up. Somebody ought to go ahead and thank God for whatever he did. Somebody ought to give him the praise for whatever he worked out. Whatever the situation was. Whatever he brought to pass. Somebody thank God the day he delivered you. I'm finished. these 400 men have the wrong attitude and I'm telling y'all today don't pick up the attitude to think that you did everything yourself God is the one who worked it out for you amen and their attitude was don't let we're not going to share We are not going to share our spoils with those who didn't go.

28:30 And David said, I didn't get to this part, but let me just, verse 24, David said, look. Matter of fact, let me just read it to you. in verse 24, for who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies. They shall share alike. Here's what that means. Here's what David is saying. They might not have gone down to the battle with us, but they played a role in us being able to come back and we still got our stuff. They protected our stuff while we were gone to battle. Some of y'all need to thank God for the people who looked out for you and cared about you and prayed for you. They might not have gone to the battle, but they did something that benefited you.

29:25 Go ahead and give God the praise and the thanks. God's strategy places people in our path who are a part of our journey.