What’s Getting in Your Way?

An exposition of 1 Samuel 14

Something is getting in your way. You aren’t who you want to become because every time you try something gets in your way.

Maybe it’s lethargy.  You've lost the gumption, the motivation to dare strive for it. To help you get whatever is in your way out of your way, listen:

Daring (14:1-15)

What you need to get over what’s getting in your way is daring. Jonathan is audacious. Click on the YouTube video above to listen and be encouraged to be daring.

Jonathan has a test. “If” — the variable — “they say to us,” wait or come up. If they say, “Come up,” “the Lord has given them into our hand.” The variable that the Lord controls is what the Philistines say. They respond freely but they said what God’s plan and hand had predestined that they would say.

“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” — Martin Luther

Jonathan’s daring confidence in God got him over the obstacle and led to a very great panic among the Philistines.

Recovering (14:16-23)

Panic makes people irrational, like we saw with covid. It makes the Philistines turn on themselves. “The Lord saved Israel that day.” He used Jonathan’s daring. But the recovering is happened because the Lord did it. Click on the YouTube video above to help with your recovering.

Presuming (14:24-35)

The men of Israel were burdened by Saul’s presuming, like Israel had been hard pressed by Pharaoh in Egypt. There's a kind of pseudo-spiritual person who doesn’t consider what’s practical.

Ransoming (14:36-46)

Jonathan was cursed but was saved because of his faith. You are cursed because of your sins but you can be saved through faith. When you have faith in the Lord who can save you by that one final sacrifice made for you, then you are ransomed.

Fighting (14:47-52)

You don’t want to fight. But you have to. Sometimes you have to face disapproval for choosing the Lord over money-making. Be valiant. Attach yourself to other strong, valiant believers in the church.

Good News:

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24.) So, you can overcome and have that living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that you could stake your life on it a thousand times. When you have that confidence, you know nothing can get in God’s way.

Click on the YouTube link above to hear the message.

Covenant Reformed Baptist Church is Caswell County’s/Danville’s Reformed Church.