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Christian Life Church

June 16, 2024 at 8:30am & 10:00am

June 16, 2024 at 8:30am & 10:00am

Remember, you may be the only one holding the rope. You may not know who is in your basket! But this principle is so important that Scripture says to future warriors, “this is the law of the land, and always will be.”

Locations & Times

Christian Life Church Columbia

2700 Bush River Rd, Columbia, SC 29210, USA

Sunday 8:00 AM

David’s Principle
6/16/2024

1 Samuel 30:1-25 NIV David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. 3When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God. 7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, 8and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” 9David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit. 11They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— 12part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. 13David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”
He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. 14We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.” 15David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?” He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.” 16He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. 18David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.” 21Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.” 23David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.


I. Lessons from an Old Testament story

A. Events close to either defeat or victory often distort our perspective.

B. In either case, we tend to judge others by our own expectations — and few people will measure up to our hopes and expectations every time.


C. In Jesus’ story of the 11th hour harvesters, most of the first workers felt sure they should have a greater reward — even greater than what was promised because of the extravagant grace shown to the last crew that was brought in.

1. Don’t fall out with each other or the Lord over another man’s penny!


D. Nothing reveals our true self like the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat. (vv. 21-22). Be slow to make decisions during times of emotional highs or lows.


E. They didn’t understand the subtle toxicity a bitter spirit can introduce into your life and thinking. (v.6)


F. In this story we learn that we don’t all bottom out at the same time. (vv. 9-10) (Note: each of them had a different capacity, a different load, and probably unique circumstances.)


G. In verses 21-22, we see the 400 felt victory was achieved by their efforts alone. This resulted in “base pay only” for the 200 who stayed behind to protect the provisions and supply lines.


H. David taught his men that every role is important in every moment of our adventures, but it is ALWAYS The Lord who is responsible for the victory. (vv. 23-24)



II. Applying the principle in a New Testament story.

A. William Carey - “In India there is a great mine of souls. I will descend and dig, but you at home must hold the ropes!”


B. Acts 9:20-25 NIV Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 23After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.


C. General Luckadoo

1. The General’s suggestion reflects a kingdom principle that takes greatness and makes it greater.


2. “The Greatest Generation”


3. Coach John Wooden took great basketball players and made them greater, winning 10 NCAA Championships-including seven in a row. “When you score or make a great play, find the teammate who made it possible — then point to him and hold it, to let other people know you didn’t achieve the basket by yourself.”


4. “If you see a turtle on a fence post, you can be pretty sure he didn’t get there by himself.”


5. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.



Let’s take a quick look at Paul’s rope holders.

I. Rope Holders don’t need the credit.

A. Some are named.

1. Obadiah in the time of Elijah


2. Aaron and Hur assisted Moses in his intercession.


3. Baruch assisted Jeremiah in a very dangerous ministry.


4. Literal rope-holders in Capernaum lowered their friend into the presence of Jesus so he could be healed.


5. The Household of Stephanas - “You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people.” 1 Corinthians 16:15 NIV (KJV translates the verse as “they have addicted themselves to service.”)


B. Some are mentioned only once.

1. Ananias, the man who led Paul to Jesus

C. Some are faceless.

1. Such as the Damascus saints who lowered Paul in a basket over the walls of the city.



II. Rope Holders don’t need the spotlight.

1. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”


2. We serve God in an upside-down kingdom. We may be surprised to find out who is really “first,” and who is “last.”



III. Rope Holders aren’t afraid of the dark.

A. In dangerous times we may be tempted to let go of the rope. These men held firm.


B. Martin Luther, when asked where he would be if his life and liberty were taken away, answered: “Right where I’ve always been, ─ in the hands of God Almighty.”


C. “The safest place for my son and his family are in the will of God.” Dan Better



IV. Rope Holders finish the job.

A. They got him safely to the ground.


B. They finish their course. They complete the race.


C. They let him down fully to the ground.


D. Let me tell you about a lantern in John Kennedy’s book Profiles in Courage.

E. Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna ─ “Eighty-six years have I served Him, and never once did He wrong me. How can I blaspheme my Lord and King?”


Remember, you may be the only one holding the rope.

You may not know who is in your basket!

But this principle is so important that Scripture says to future warriors, “this is the law of the land, and always will be.”

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