Under a Tree – 5

                                                                         Under a Tree – 5

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. 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, loyalty, and devotion to him. At this time, David was just tired.

--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!" Not a command…a wish. 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. What inspiration.

--David was so moved by their courage and their act of kindness that he could not drink the water. 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. 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 poured it out.

--Psalm 22:14 tells us that when the Lord Jesus died on the cross He said, "I am poured out like water...." Paul said when he was facing death that he was being poured out like a drink offering. 

--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. 

--The remainder of this message I want us to look at three powerful truths that put the Christian life in perspective. 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.

--Good things but the best place to be at that particular moment was in the presence of their commander 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.

--I have noticed these people in 45 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…hidden behind His commands. We must be close.

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 - The incessant, and unwillingness to rest, pursuit of fame and fortune leaves out any time for devotion to God that He deserves. 

--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.

--Sadly, in our busyness 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. Neglect of this leads to weariness. 

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

--Nowhere 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 of conviction think and act.

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’ encounter. 

Exodus 3:7-8 (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. 

--Moses heard God’s voice from the burning bush and realized God was on mission. 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. 

--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 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.

--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 under this tree…I must be filled with Holy Spirit!