I Can’t Stay Here – 7

I Can’t Stay Here – 7

Subject – Three Keys to Spiritual Passion

by Rick Welborne

1 Chronicles 11:15-19 (NKJV)
¹⁵  Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
¹⁶  David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
¹⁷  And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"
¹⁸  So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD.
¹⁹  And he said, "Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it." Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.

--We see at this time in David’s life that it recalls, as usual, he found himself in hostile conditions…forced to flee into the desert or wilderness just to survive.

--The enemy were the ruthless Philistines who were a hostile tribe on the southern border of Israel. They were strong and were, at this moment, victorious against David’s people. At this time, they held Bethlehem.

--Certain men had drifted into the hills to join David, a guerrilla army of friends and mighty men willing to show their bravery and loyalty to him. They were mighty men and they were devoted. 

--We can pretty much assume that David was at a time where he was tired of running, tired of living in caves, and tired of being at war. 

--In a quiet moment David spoke out from his heart…"Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" 

--It was clearly not a command that he gave; not even a call for volunteers…merely a wish. It is worthy to note that just a wish from the king’s lips was powerful.

--His loyal mighty men of valor wanted to deliver this water as a gift to their king as soon as possible with no thought of their own peril. They loved their king. What a lesson for us.

--Children, adults, and even my oldest son have been thrilled by these three unnamed men who set out to fight their way through the Philistines, get the water David was wishing for, and then, fight their way back.

--David was so moved by their courage and their act of kindness that he could not drink the water. This was another one of those stories I could not understand as a new believer. 

--He poured it out as a drink offering before the Lord.

Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee - Notice how David's men responded when he merely expressed a wish -- he would never have given such a command. Yet our Lord has commanded us to take the Water of Life to the whole world. And what have we done with it? Are you obeying His orders?

--Notice what David did with the water that was brought to him at such tremendous risk. David was unselfish -- no wonder his men loved him. They were willing to suffer for him because he was willing to suffer with them. 

--He wouldn't take that drink because his men didn't have water, and he chose to take his place with them.

--Psalm 22:14 tells us that when the Lord Jesus died on the cross He said, "I am poured out like water...." He poured His life out like water on the ground. 

--He took His place down here as one of us -- "...unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..." (Isa. 9:6). He took our hell that we might share His heaven.

Gordon MacDonald – So moved was David by this action that he could not drink the water but wisely poured it out on the ground as a drink offering to the Lord. He knew devotion when he saw it, and he appreciated the fact that no human being was worthy of the intense devotion these three men had given to him. The water had to be re-designated as a gift to David’s God. A good decision.

--As we look at these three mighty men of valor we see how they had established a pattern of performance that most describes a man or woman whose spiritual passion is clear and forceful. 

--The remainder of this message I want us to look at three powerful truths that put the Christian life in perspective. In these mighty men are simple but powerful truths.

--Their action symbolized the way a man or woman with spiritual passion lives.

1. Staying close to the King makes it possible to hear His wishes. 

--The fact is that David’s wish was most likely uttered quietly, informally. You had to be close and in his presence to hear his wish. 

--Use your imagination with me and ask yourself where were the other soldiers who were fighting with and for David. Doing good things…watching, sharpening their swords, maybe cooking, checking supplies.

--All these things were good and necessary but the best place to be at that particular moment was in the presence of their commander and chief where not only commands could be heard but also a few wishes.

--To be in the presence of the Commander (Jesus) is to be in a safe place; and to be able to hear His wishes demand a still time when listening is the most important thing. 

Psalm 46:10-11 (NKJV)
¹⁰  Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
¹¹  The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 

--That’s intimacy, and it generates passion, a desire to hear and to please. No hearing, no intimacy, no passion.

--With my imagination still running, I can see those three sitting close to the king listening to every word anxious to know how they can, in fact, please him. 

--They have learned how to do pro-active listening where they are intently trying to hear the wishes of the one to whom they have devoted themselves to totally.

--I have noticed these people in 42 years of ministry. All I have to do is think about something or wish out loud for something and these people are on it. So many I could name.

--Hear me…only in still and quiet places will one hear the wishes of Jesus or Holy Spirit or actually anyone else in your life. God’s wished are not shouted…often they are hidden behind His commands. 

--Any of us can, if we choose to, hear the commandments of God but it takes a sensitive ear to hear the wishes of God, and that comes as we have said, by being close to Him. 

MacDonald - The intimacy of the commander’s presence (of God’s presence) is something that is sought by relatively few people. In a world that offers too many experiences of easily achieved, and therefore cheapened intimacy, not many people are willing to pay the price demanded to gain the presence of God. 

--Sir Francis Bacon made this observation. The incessant, and unwillingness to rest, pursuit of fame and fortune leaves out any time for devotion to God that He deserves. 

--I have gained great assistance in the development of my own spiritual life as I have thought about the God Who wants us to not only hear His commands but to hear His wishes. 

--His commands in the Word are there for all to read and see; but His wishes are only for those who set out each day to listen eagerly and carefully to His heart. It takes time and closeness.

--I am amazed how often His wishes are revealed in the intimacy of time with Him, in quiet moments, in the still times, and even in the times of tragedy, pain, and hopelessness. God is there for us.

--When our planners and road maps do not indicate the discipline of quiet place experiences, we forfeit the chances we would have to hear the wishes of God. 

--Sadly, we will have to depend upon what other people tell us about intimacy with God instead of experiencing it ourselves. Our neglect is a serious loss. 

--That is why I have learned, and continue to learn, that time cut out to spend intimate wonderful time in the presence of God is the most important activity of my daily activities. Neglect of this leads to weariness. 

2. The choice to act is often taken at great risk.

--Nowhere in this account of these mighty men do we hear that there was debate about going to get the king water. “Are you crazy” “Do you know where the well is?” “Get water for one person…nope!” I can’t stay here!

--The reason perhaps that the scriptures do not record such questions is probably because they did not happen. The indication is to show how devoted passionate men think and act.

--The wish of the general came through like a command to the devoted. These three went from listening mode to action mode because of their love for the king.

MacDonald – Convictions generated from a genuine encounter with the living God create the passion to act and the strength to carry out the action. What too often happens, I fear, is that modern Christians try to move on other people’s passion. We respond with genuine excitement, but it is a thin sort of passion easily dissipated or quickly supplanted by the next powerful message. 

--David’s men heard the wish from the lips of their commander. The man or woman who takes the time to hear God speak is apt to have the same reaction: instant motion. We see this with Moses.

Exodus 3:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷  And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
⁸  So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
⁹  Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
¹⁰  Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

--Moses heard God’s voice from the burning bush and realized God was on mission to deliver His people from Egypt. He went with God and maintained his spiritual passion by spending intimate time with Him.

--What these three mighty men did, what Moses did, what the Apostle Paul did…all did at great risk to themselves but because they had heard the heart and the wish of the Master…the risk was worth it.

Risk - spending your life making a difference that God’s dreams dared you to believe.

3. God’s divine power creates our ultimate passion.

--From Genesis to Revelations there has always been this wonderful, powerful, mysterious power planted into the hearts of men and women to enable them to accomplish God’s wishes.

--We know that divine power and energy to be Holy Spirit (The Third Person of the Godhead). In the Old Testament Holy Spirit would come on certain individuals to do the miraculous. 

--Adam and Eve were such a wonderful model to us of what life should be like communing with God every day, walking and talking with Him was normal life. Then they chose to sin…passion lost.

--They also show us how we can lose beautiful fellowship with Holy Spirit when we choose to do our own thing and go our own direction. How sad!

--Everything we have spoken about in this series…weariness, dryness, and lack of intimacy with God was exactly what the disciples were going through after Christ was crucified.

--But what a difference when they tarried (they waited) in God’s presence for the Promise of the Father…the promised Holy Spirit. Weak, tired, and fearful men became giants for God when Holy Spirit came. 

MacDonald – The chief purpose of Holy Spirit in our lives is to enlarge our capacity to join the task of Kingdom building: demonstrating in life and in word the splendor of the living Christ and His incredible power to rescue lost people and then turn them around to a higher life. Acts 1:8 “You shall receive power…” We have organized Him, strategized Him, and compartmentalized Him. We have reduced His ways of working with us to cute little formulas but it is clear that God longs to renew our spiritual passion.

--I believe Holy Spirit missing in our lives in His fullness is much of the problem with the modern church. We have our plans, programs, technology, and cleverness to get us through…we think.

--An underground Chinese pastor who was visiting American churches made this observation about us…It is amazing what you can accomplish without Holy Spirit in your services…He is all we have.

--I challenge you to be filled with Holy Spirit power every day…to be constantly inviting Him to be with you, to be in you, to empower you, to guide you, to teach you, to give you power to witness for Christ. 

--We have a choice…we can be intoxicated by the things of this world or we can drink of the Living Water (Holy Spirit) and never thirst again for all the other junk.

Ephesians 5:15-18 (NLT2)
¹⁵  So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
¹⁶  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
¹⁷  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
¹⁸  Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 

--I can’t stay here…I can’t stay where I am spiritually…I must be filled with Holy Spirit!